It is no secret that Marco Reus’s contract at Dortmund is nearing it’s end. It is also no secret that a release clause in his contract will be activated in 2015. As expected the top teams in Europe will already be scrambling for his signature as he is arguably one of the best and most promising talents in the football universe at the moment. The World Class player has already been linked with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and even Man Utd to mention but a few, (obviously there are more but these seem to be the ones grabbing the most media attention). I decided to write this article to talk about what I think Marco should do. This is an analysis of his options to conclude on where we think would be best for him, NOT where he will end up as he might very well end up somewhere else. Marco is a wonderful talent and obviously would deserve to start and grow even more, regardless of where he signs.
First of all Bayern Munich. Bayern are supposedly joint favourites to get his signature at the moment and given their history of stealing players from their rivals, it is hard to ignore the possibility. Bayern like to do business deals like this early from what I’ve seen. They don't wait around for other clubs to make bids and steal targets during the transfer window (just think Gotze and Lewandowski, both deals where agreed and in place before the start of the windows). I think this is a great advantage and if I were a manager I would probably use this tactic a lot for the players I need most. Register interest and open discussions then make it official when the window opens. Bayern however have a lot of talent in their squad. Reus would have to compete with Robben, Ribery, Thiago, Muller, Shaqiri, and Gotze (I imagine he won’t be battling with Alonso and Bastian) he might even be in contention with Lewandowski as a forward. This sort of squad depth seems healthy at first glance, but it can be dangerous as all these players deserve a lot of playing time so who really is going to be sacrificed? Another factor that may hamper this deal would be the players discontent for Bayern as a team. Unlike the other two before him, it has been said that Marco is not keen on switching sides to wear the colours of his fierce rivals, it might take such a large sum to tempt a player who already claims to not be tempted by money.
Real Madrid have also been touted as joint favourites with the powerhouse supposedly preparing to make their team an unstoppable force in Europe. Real Madrid are arguably playing the best football on the planet right now and they don’t look like they are dropping their form anytime soon. Money cannot be an obstacle here so this to me looks even more likely a destination than any other. Marco would join the formidable attacking force that already consists of Benzema, Bale and Cristiano (BBC) as well as golden boys James and Isco (not to forget Jese). Reus would provide adequate depth and could even serve as Benzema’s second striker allowing the latter to rest. His arrival however would mean even less playing time for Jese and Isco. As a matter of fact, only Ronaldo would be safe out of all those mentioned. I don't think Ancelotti would take out Modric or Kroos as those two are forming what will soon be the world’s best centre midfield partnership if not already the best. It would be interesting but scary to watch this devastating prospect take the reigns for a while in Europe and see who can challenge them.
Barcelona to me currently have the smallest chance of signing the player (yes smaller than Liverpool). They have a ban that doesn’t allow them sign players until January 2016, by which time one of these teams would have snapped up Marco. Marco Reus would need to reject every approach (highly unlikely) and then play at Dortmund for another season for this transfer to go through. Frankly this may be quite unwise. However in the event that it does happen, Marco would be joining Neymar, Messi, Suarez and Pedro to compete for one of 3 spots or at worst 4 depending on how Luis Enrique decides to field his team. Like Real Madrid, this would be such a phenomenal prospect but also less playing time for the younger players and possibly even Pedro may be forced to leave to facilitate this move.
Arsenal have been said to fancy the player. Arsene Wenger himself is a fan of his talents and every Arsenal fan I’m sure by now has dreamt of Marco Reus playing in their colours. Imagine it, Reus, Ozil, and Sanchez? no brainer. Arsene would be foolish not to at least consider it (so would every other manager). But then Arsenal have more pressing concerns at the moment. They need a World Class DM and some back up Centre backs at the moment. These must come in January or they won’t even be classified good enough for Reus join come end of season. A deal like this would most likely materialise in the summer. If Arsenal do sign the defensive reinforcements needed. Reus would be the one more signing needed to make them a Consistent European force and not the consistently inconsistent team we have seen so far this season. The trio mentioned above would easily terrorise any team in the world. Arsenal have such a bloated Midfield however, with so many attacking options. A DM would have to start, so that means even one less spot for Wilshere, Ramsey, Carzola, and Chamberlain to fight for. These guys would also be fighting Ozil Reus and Sanchez for the places behind or beside the main striker (depending on the formation). This midfield congestion may spell the end for Rosicky, fan favourite Podolski and even new boy Campbell. This might even be the biggest congestion that Reus would face. However, quite luckily Marco Reus and a number of these players are very versatile. If I was Wenger I would sign Reus and forget about a striker. We all know that Poldi, Walcott, Sanchez, and Reus can all play upfront and still be deadly. The kind of creativity having Reus would add, could increase the number of goals any striker would score (Giroud scores more goals every season by the way.) This case would be like Bayern’s. We should also take into consideration Arsenal’s current injury record, they probably need all the help and depth they can get. Reus is even said to favour a move to England and by the looks of it, the impact he would make at Arsenal would be even more than most other teams. This transfer may be further buoyed by the prospect of Jurgen Klopp taking the reigns after Wenger with all this Wenger In Out Razzle Dazzle going on.
Man City offer a great prospect for Reus. Just take a moment to think about this- Aguero + Silva + Reus + Yaya = Domination (at least in England for sure). This might be the key to further European success for Man City. He would probably receive a high salary here also and Man City’s depth would mean Nasri and/or Navas on the bench. This means even when they need to rest players they still have a great team. Just like Arsenal, Man City offer such a bright prospect or the player to develop and possibly win the Ballon D’or one day in the future. Jurgen Klopp is also being speculated to take over after Pellegrini if the club decide to let go of the Chilean. That being said Man City have also been linked with Isco and some others so they might see some benefit still in letting Reus join another team with a target of theirs.
It would be hard to write Chelsea off in this scramble. Chelsea have something about stealing Targets when they look certain to go somewhere else ( e.g Hazard). They have the money, they have Jose Mourinho who was able to convince Fabregas to join a side he never thought he would play for (although it was also because Wenger said no and no other option was good enough). Chelsea could just steal Reus from right under all our noses. You can imagine Hazard, Oscar and Reus behind Costa and Fabregas also playing behind them with Matic. This is a Chelsea squad that already seems complete. Marco Reus would be a welcome Bonus with Willian and Schurrle more than adequate competition for places as rotation options.
Liverpool and Man Utd are other teams linked with the player. Man Utd’s form last season seemed to signal the end to such a move and so does Liverpool’s current form. If Liverpool don’t finish in the top 4, it will be unlikely that this deal would materialise. Nevertheless he would be a very welcome bonus with Sterling, Lallana, Markovic, Coutinho, Balotelli, Sturridge and Lambert all vying for places to mention but a few. Reus would definitely be the star of the show at Anfield like Suarez was, but then after a while he might seek to move again to a bigger club. With Brendan Rodgers under constant pressure, Jurgen Klopp has emerged again as one of the possible replacements if Brendan gets the sack. Man Utd’s new luck has seen them climb into 3rd spot for now and we wonder how long it will go on for as critics say they have not performed well, but somehow luck is on their side. If Man Utd do secure a top 4 finish, they will be among the main contenders for his signature. It would mean a change of formation however in order to accommodate him with Mata, Di Maria, Januzaj etc. Unlike the other teams with midfield congestion, Man Utd have 3 World Class strikers (2 of which can also play in midfield). This limits the extent to which Marco’s versatility can be utilised. Quite frankly this move won’t be good for United. Arsenal and City would be able to balance their bloated squads but with United? it might be too difficult.
All things being considered, it is hard to pick a destination for Reus. Marco deserves to start wherever he goes and will obviously make a great impact. There will be congestion wherever he goes, it has been made quite obvious. Some players may have to leave permanently or on loan to get playing time. Reus is a young player with a lot of years ahead of him, so honestly he would be a good investment and if it means older players like Ribery and Rosicky have to leave? I would say take the deal. It would be better in the long run when these guys retire or are too old to play at this level. Based on what I’ve looked into, a move to England would be brighter for him. I’m sure EPL fans would want to see the Balon D’or leave Spain for once and see an English team lift the Champions league trophy. Real Madrid still have a strong say in where he will end up and Bayern might just snap up a deal before anyone can make the call. I would say his best options to me to develop as a player and move the team forward are Real Madrid, Arsenal and Man City. The impact he would make in these teams coupled with the playing time he would get and future prospects, make these three the most suitable clubs for him. Feel free to add your own reasons and suggestions below. Where do you think Marco Reus should go? Please leave your views in the comments column. Merry Christmas.
