MANCHESTER CITY ARE preparing to make their move for Marco Reus as the race for the Borussia Dortmund forward hots up.
A €25 million release clause will be activated in Reus’ contract at the end of the season, a fact brought to light by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
The German champions have signed Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski from Dortmund in acrimonious circumstances in recent seasons and in August CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge discussed Reus’ previously undisclosed buy-out option.
Rummenigge’s claims not only sparked fury at Signal Iduna Park but also a Europe-wide transfer scramble to rival any of the recent era.
Dortmund had been hoping to tie Reus to a new deal, which would remove the buy-out clause and extend his stay beyond 2017, but revealed this week that they have shelved talks to concentrate on their poor domestic form.
Bayern have continued to talk publicly about Reus’ future throughout the season and, after stating their intent to pursue the buy-out option, are regarded as favourites to secure his signing.
However, they will face rival interest from elite Champions League clubs given the relatively low fee it would require to secure one of football’s brightest talents.
A host of Premier League sides are known to be interested in signing the 25-year-old, with Liverpool the latest club to be linked in the British press.
But Manchester City have been tracking the Germany international for the past five years, going back to his time at Borussia Monchengladbach, and director of football Txiki Begiristain has now made him top priority alongside Everton’s Ross Barkley.
Insiders
The Premier League champions believe Reus’ talent alone would make him the biggest signing since Sergio Aguero arrived in 2011, but are also aware that warding off interest from a host of powerful clubs would send a statement of intent.
While club insiders are wary that Bayern remain in pole position to secure a deal, there is hope that Reus, a boyhood Dortmund fan, would snub a deal so as not to alienate the club’s supporters.
Spanish champions Atletico Madrid had appeared to be on the verge of clinching Reus’ signature during the summer, only for president Enrique Cerezo to come out and claim that there was no chance of a deal with his club because the player had already rejected a big-money offer from Manchester United.
That came a day after honorary Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer had said he expected Reus to join a club like United or Real Madrid, should he not make the move to Bavaria.
Reus missed his country’s successful World Cup campaign with an ankle injury sustained on the eve of the tournament, and also missed seven Dortmund matches this season with a second ligament problem sustained in September.
By Paul Clennnam, Goal.com
