- Reynolds drawing interest from around Europe
- Hull City among clubs eyeing defender
- Fullback set to be part of U.S. Olympic squad
WHAT HAPPENED?
Reynolds recently completed his second season with Belgian sign Westerlo, having spent the 2022-23 season on loan with the club before joining permanently ahead of this past season. The 22-year-old defender made 34 appearances for Westerlo helping the club to an 11th-place finish and a spot in Belgium’s European playoffs.
The fullback’s performances in Belgium have caught the eye of suitors all over Europe, with clubs in England, France and Turkey now eyeing moves for the American. Hull City are one of the multiple English clubs who have sent scouts to watch Reynolds’ recent performances, sources tell GOAL. Hull, who finished just outside seventh in the Championship, have since opened talks over a potential move.
Meanwhile, a Ligue 1 side has approached Westerlo to discuss a deal, while there’s also interest in Turkey. Westerlo are owned by Turkish businessman Oktay Ercan, leading to more eyes on the club from his home country’s biggest clubs.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Reynolds is set to be a key figure for the U.S. at this summer’s Olympics and already has plenty of senior USMNT experience under his belt.
The 22-year-old defender has earned seven international caps, with his debut coming in 2021 in a friendly against Northern Ireland. He was a member of the USMNT’s 2023 Gold Cup squad, scoring his first senior goal against St. Kitts & Nevis during the group stage.
Reynolds is expected to be the starting right-back for the U.S. U-23s this summer at the Paris Olympics when they face France, New Zealand and Guinea in the group stage, which begins on July 24.
A product of the FC Dallas academy, Reynolds became the club’s youngest-ever homegrown signing in November 2016. He made his first-team debut in May 2019 as part of his MLS breakout, earning a move to Roma in 2021. The defender made eight total appearances for Roma before being loaned to Kortrijk and Westerlo, moving permanently to the latter this past July for a reported €3.5 million ($3.8 million) fee.
DID YOU KNOW?
Reynolds’ move to Roma was hotly-contested, as the Serie A side were engaged in a bidding war to secure his services. Ultimately, Reynolds went to Roma, partly due to a path to the first team offered to him by Paulo Fonseca. Fonseca left the club just a few months later, though, and Reynolds never broke through under Jose Mourinho before his spells in Belgium.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR REYNOLDS?
The U.S. U-23s have a friendly on the schedule as they prepare for their upcoming Olympic run. They’ll face Japan on June 11 in Kansas City as players look to lock up their spots in the Olympic squad.
Senior team head coach Gregg Berhalter named Reynolds as a player that was on the fringes of the June camp roster for friendlies against Colombia and Brazil. However, Berhalter determined that Reynolds, Kevin Paredes and Aidan Morris would be better served with more playing time with the U.S. U-23s.