Marco Reus Contract Extension Huge Win for Borussia Dortmund
By Greg Sulik
@GregSulik
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It had long been theorized that world class midfielder Marco Reus was going to be next in the procession of Borussia Dortmund superstars to leave for the money and history of Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich. However, Reus temporarily put that speculation to rest by signing a contract extension with his hometown club until 2019.
This is huge news for Dortmund for a few reasons. First, it is a big step towards permanently keeping one of their stars and a player who every major club in Europe has been linked to. Second, re-signing Reus to a big contract could help the club’s chances of retaining the likes of Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gündogan, something they recently failed to do with Robert Lewandowski and Mario Götze. Finally, this new contract provides protection for Borussia Dortmund in future negotiations.
One way to look at this deal is that Reus has chosen loyalty over money and will stay and become a legend at his hometown club. The new contract removes his release clause and reportedly does not include a clause that will let him out if Dortmund is relegated, a huge factor for a side that is currently sitting in 16th place in the Bundesliga. Keeping Reus around will be huge as BVB looks to rebound from this disaster of a season, and having players of his talent means they should be able to return to their normal successes next season.
Frankly, I would love to believe this version, if only because it flies in the face of superclubs at a time in which five or six teams tend to collect all the best players in the world and the trophies that go with having them. However, the harsher business version must be considered as well.
In that narrative, there is still a very good chance Reus is sold this summer, possibly even to Bayern Munich. However, by removing his ridiculously low 25 million euro release clause, this new contract ensures that Reus will be sold for what he’s worth, which is significant;y more than 25 million euros. That means that both BVB and Reus will benefit financially, offering protection for the club.
It remains to be seen what will happen with Reus’ future, but for now it is safe to call this contract extension a huge win for Borussia Dortmund. Hopefully for their sake this is not financial posturing but rather a legitimate commitment by a star player to a club that he loves and is loyal to. Frankly, today’s world football scene could use a little more of that.
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