da bet7： The American looked set to be the German club's next breakout star, but now he needs to take a step down to rebuild his faltering club career

da bet sport： The Borussia Dortmund conveyor belt never stops, does it? Star after star is made at Signal Iduna Park and inevitably sold for big money down the line. Few clubs have a track record of creating and developing young talent that can get anywhere near Dortmund's.

Jadon Sancho was once one of those bright, young stars. So too was Gio Reyna. Both, at points, have looked like players that would someday take over the world. But now, as the January transfer window rumbles on, the former has returned to Dortmund with his tail between his legs, inevitably forcing the latter out and onto his own next step.

Since Sancho's big-money departure to Manchester United in 2021, not much has gone right for either the English star or his American counterpart. Neither have been able to take off in the way many predicted just a few years ago.

For Sancho, the path towards the top will continue with a step backwards and a return to his former club. For Reyna, that path seems destined for a detour of his own, as Sancho's return looks likely to only speed up his own exit from the Bundesliga giants.

Getty ImagesSancho's breath-taking breakout

It seems so long ago now, doesn't it? The Dortmund version of Sancho was something special, a player that any club in the world would have wanted to sign.

Having arrived from Manchester City in 2017 in search of a first-team chance, Sancho didn't take long to make his impact. By the midway point of his first season, he was becoming a regular for the club, setting himself up for a breakout 2018-19 campaign, during which he scored 12 league goals. That form also earned him an England debut in October 2018.

By the summer of 2021, Sancho was a player in demand. He'd scored 50 goals and provided 64 assists across 137 Dortmund appearances, emerging as one of the best attacking talents in the world before his 22nd birthday. With big clubs swirling, Sancho completed his move back to the Premier League in 2021, signing with Manchester United for a fee of £74 million ($94m).

With that move, Sancho took his massive next step to the Premier League, following in the footsteps of Christian Pulisic, whose own departure for Chelsea had helped open the door for Sancho's breakout. Now the chance had emerged for Reyna to follow in both of their footsteps – or so it seemed.

AdvertisementGettyReyna's rough road

If there was a way to really explain Reyna's club career thus far, it would be 'stop-start'. There have been some highs, some big moments where he's looked like the player destined to follow Dortmund alumni Pulisic, Sancho and Erling Haaland towards the top. There have also been lows, many of which have come in the past year or so.

The U.S. men's national team controversy is now behind him, as Reyna has patched things up with Gregg Berhalter and re-established himself among the key players on the roster. Life at club level, though, has been a bit more difficult.

A fantastic super-sub last season, probably the best in the Bundesliga, Reyna has found game time hard to come by so far in 2023-24. He played just 229 minutes in the Bundesliga during the first half of the campaign, starting on just one occasions. You can add in 70 minutes in the DFB-Pokal and 20 in the Champions League, but even with those minor boosts to his total, the message is clear: Reyna isn't a priority for Dortmund at the moment.

Despite his obvious potential, the 21-year-old has tumbled down Edin Terzic's pecking order, and that freefall is likely to continue as Sancho arrives.

Getty/GOALMuch-needed return

To say Sancho's time at Manchester United went off the rails would be an understatement. He never quite got going in his first season, scoring just five goals in 38 matches. His second season was only marginally better, netting seven in 41. This season, though, Sancho's hopes of making it at Old Trafford were totally washed away.

It started in September, as Sancho's row with manager Erik ten Hag became public knowledge. Ten Hag said that Sancho's performances in training were lacking, leading to his exclusion from the squad. Sancho soon fired back, accusing the manager of scapegoating him. Days later, it was announced that Sancho would be excluded from first-team training and matches, and the winger has been exiled ever since.

In the months since, it has become clear that Sancho's future would be away from Old Trafford. The question, though, was where would he go? Which teams could meet United's demands as they look to recoup something, anything, from their big-money purchase? Which club would be best positioned to rebuild Sancho, who, at just 23, still has the world at his feet?

As it turns out, Sancho is set to take a step backward to, hopefully, take a step forward. His return to Dortmund was confirmed on Thursday as he looks set to join a loaded attacking unit for a run in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Getty ImagesDortmund's loaded attack

With Sancho's return, it's safe to say that Terzic will have plenty of firepower to work with up top. Veterans like Sebastian Haller, Marco Reus and Niclas Fullkrug will bring leadership to that attacking group, with plenty of young stars in behind them. Donyell Malen, at 24, is the oldest of that junior group, with future stars like Karim Adeyemi, Youssoufa Moukoko and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens all pushing for minutes as well. Even at the No.10 position, where Reyna plays for the national team, the Black and Yellows have a legitimate Germany international in Julian Brandt to play alongside Reus,

Reyna, for his part, hasn't nailed down a defined role in Terzic's team. His skillset seems best suited to be a No. 10, but he hasn't been able to beat out Reus or Brandt for consistent minutes, with the manager reportedly having laid out that he needs to see more from the American, particularly when it comes to his defensive contributions.

“Reyna clearly sees himself as a No.10, similar to Julian Brandt and Marco Reus,” the coach said. “The three are currently fighting for one or two positions when we play in the 4-3-3 [formation]. With Gio, we know how much talent he possesses. Of course, Gio still has many aspects to work on to become a more complete player.”

In Sancho, Dortmund have added yet another attacking option, and therefore another player that will block Reyna's path toward playing time. As a result, the transfer rumors that have been swirling for the past months have now become much more frequent.