When Borussia Dortmund released their 2025–26 squad numbers, one detail stood out immediately. The No. 7 shirt, worn for years by Giovanni Reyna, now belongs to 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham. Reyna’s name sits further down the list beside No. 21.
The symbolism wasn’t lost on fans. On Reddit, one post summed it up bluntly: “Nothing says I don’t care about you more than telling you to change your jersey number because you’re irrelevant.” Others went for humor. “To represent the number of minutes he’ll get this season?” one user wrote, with another replying, “Still too high.” On X, memes spread quickly — from FIFA card edits showing Reyna’s “stamina 21” to the running joke that Dortmund have staged “a soft Jude reboot” by giving the shirt to his younger brother.
For Reyna, it’s a public demotion after two seasons of shrinking minutes and persistent setbacks. For Bellingham, it’s an instant show of trust in a player who joined from Sunderland in June for about $35.9 million.
A transfer that feels inevitable
Reyna has just a year left on his contract, and Dortmund have made clear he’s available. Talks with Parma are well advanced, with the 22-year-old agreeing personal terms on a deal through 2029. The Serie A club has offered around $8.7 million plus bonuses, while Dortmund are holding out for closer to $10.9 million.
The gap isn’t huge, but the standoff has dragged on. “Offer them nine million and let the poor guy go,” one fan wrote, echoing a sentiment seen across social media. Parma, 16th in Serie A last season, view Reyna as a marquee signing for new manager Carlos Cuesta. Dortmund, once valuing Reyna at more than $45 million, are determined to get full value.
Other clubs, including MLS sides, have been loosely linked, but no formal bids have emerged. Parma remains the favorite, and the shirt swap only reinforces the feeling that Reyna’s exit is a matter of when, not if.
Bellingham’s rise
Jobe Bellingham hasn’t needed long to impress. The younger brother of former Dortmund star Jude Bellingham has already scored in competitive action — a half-volley winner against Mamelodi Sundowns at the Club World Cup — and added an assist in four tournament appearances. Head coach Niko Kovač praised his “good physical presence and sense of situations,” seeing him as part of the club’s future alongside fellow newcomer Felix Nmecha.
On the field, Bellingham has been deployed as a central or attacking midfielder, with a knack for late runs into the box. Off the field, he’s made a point to distinguish himself from his famous sibling, wearing “Jobe” on his kit. “I don’t want to be a superstar… I want to follow my own path,” he said during preseason.
That path now includes the No. 7 shirt, once worn by Jadon Sancho and Ousmane Dembélé. In Dortmund, it’s more than a number, it’s a statement about status in the attack.
Reyna’s slide
Reyna’s fall has been gradual but steady. He started just three Bundesliga matches last season, scoring twice in 26 appearances. His playing time has been restricted by a string of injuries — from hamstring tears to a fractured fibula to a groin problem that sidelined him for over two months in 2024. Since 2020, he’s missed roughly a third of Dortmund’s matches.
When fit, Reyna has produced in bursts. In 2022–23, he scored seven league goals, many as a substitute, and provided two key assists in the final-day draw against Mainz. But sustained form has proved elusive.
His public image hasn’t been helped by the lingering memory of his 2022 World Cup standoff with USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, when his lack of training effort became a talking point. Inside Dortmund, though, coaches have consistently praised his character and work ethic. The issue has always been availability.
Now the No. 7 shirt belongs to someone else, and the “21 minutes” jokes aren’t fading. If the Parma deal goes through, Reyna will get the fresh start many believe he needs. In Dortmund, his chapter has already closed. The club has chosen its future, and it’s stitched on the back of a teenager’s jersey.
