By Ben Johnson
Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus, a transfer target for both Arsenal and Man City, had a wonderful 2013/14 Bundesliga campaign, appearing 30 times and notching up 16 goals, and the World Cup in Brazil was set to be his grand stage; the moment where he finally showcased to the world why he is one of the best players in Europe. Sadly for him and his legion of admirers, it was not to be, as he was forced to withdraw with an ankle injury picked up in Germany’s 6-1 friendly win over Andorra.
Reports: Manchester City make £20m Marco Reus enquiry, Arsenal second favourites
The 25-year-old, however, is nothing if not resolutely determined. To watch his national side lift the coveted trophy this summer must have unleashed a torrent of paradoxical feelings; delight at their achievement, but crushing disappointment that he could not be involved. Reus should have been there, but he remained confident that he would return better than ever before.
Reus made a lively start to the 2014/15 Bundesliga, scoring once and assisting another as Dortmund went on to beat Augsburg 3-2 in their second game of the season. However, things quickly turned sour again for the midfielder. In Germany’s 2-1 Euro 2016 qualifying win over Scotland, he went over on the same ankle that cost him a flight to Brazil, with the diagnosis showing he would be in rehabilitation for four weeks.
The German has frustratingly watched from the sidelines, as he has seen Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund side make a horrible start to the season. Just seven games in and already Die Schwarzgelben find themselves ten points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich and in a dismal thirteenth place. Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Hamburger SV prompted Klopp to pronounce that Dortmund had hit ‘rock bottom’, and it is clear that they are missing Reus’ creative influence.
Despite having some early success in the UEFA Champions league, with impressive 2-0 and 3-0 wins over Arsenal and Anderlecht respectively, their form in Europe has struggled to be replicated domestically. Klopp’s side have lost two games on the bounce and have only won once in their last five in the league. Despite this, Klopp insists that the Bundesliga campaign is the most important for his team: “The Bundesliga is the most important competition for us,” the BVB boss told reporters. “But I, too, have noticed that we have as many points from two games in the Champions League as six [at the time] Bundesliga games. We also haven’t conceded in the Champions League.”
Borussia Dortmund are a team that work their magic with a low budget, and it has been impressive to see them compete with both Bayern Munich on a domestic level and with elite teams such as Real Madrid in Europe, despite the imbalances in financial clout. Due to this divide, however, it is sometimes difficult for Dortmund to keep hold of their stars, as evidenced by Robert Lewandowski’s move to Bayern this June.
Reus created 90 chances in last season’s Bundesliga
Even if it Dortmund’s form improves, which you would expect it to, fans are going to have to accept that it will be hard to keep hold of Marco Reus – either in January, or next summer. Despite being extremely vocal in his loyalty – he said in January of this year ‘I have a contract with Borussia Dortmund and I am happy to be here’ – Reus is comprehensively one of the most sought-after players in Europe, with big clubs ready to offer huge bids to secure his services.
The most recent reports suggest that Manchester City have stepped up their pursuit of the German, but their arch-rivals Manchester United have been long-term admirers. Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have also recently expressed their interest, and the latter’s German connections – Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski – may swing the balance in Arsene Wenger’s favour.
Either way, despite Reus’ obvious love for Dortmund, a new challenge in the competitive Premier League would be hard to resist. With the likes of Angel di Maria, Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez moving to England to ply their trade this summer, the English top division is building its repertoire of superstars every transfer window as it seeks to confirm its status as the best league in the world. The addition of Reus, whether it be in London, Manchester or Liverpool, would help cement that – not to mention adding some world class talent to one side’s attacking options.
It remains to be seen whether Reus can be tempted away from Dortmund, or whether Klopp can be persuaded to let him go. No doubt the German will do everything in his power to keep his star man on board, but as we have seen with a certain Uruguayan this summer, sometimes money talks.
0 comments:
Post a Comment