(Reus’ 6-year stay at Borussia Dortmund could be set to come to an end with the star stalling on a new Dortmund deal)
Two of the Premier Leagues biggest teams will go head to head this summer with the Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool both highly interested in Borussia Dortmund Winger Marco Reus with the player valued at only £25 million and stalling over a new contract at the German club.
The German Winger who is currently 28 years-old has had a tough time while at Borussia Dortmund, while the German international has bagged 58 goals since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2009 Reus has suffered multiple injuries just starting 61 Bundesliga games out of a possible 126 since the start of the 2014/15 campaign due to recurring and often lengthy injuries.
Reus who is coming to the twilight years of his career turning 29 in May has played only 3 Bundesliga games this term scoring once as a result of a lengthy injury, yet that is not to say he is not a fantastic player notching 7 goals and 4 assists in 17 appearances last season and 12 goals and 3 assists in 26 appearances in the 2015/16 season.
But Reus’s time in yellow only seemed to get worse season after season with the 5ft 11 wide-man has seen a number of teammates and close friends leave the Westfalenstadion over the years while Reus remained in the yellow of Borussia Dortmund, the problem for Reus has never been his quality but his injury record.
His £25.2 million valuation (according to Transfermarkt) almost mirrors former Dortmund teammate İlkay Gündoğan’s move to Manchester City in 2016 for a cool £20 million, and while the German has shined in Manchester he did miss a lengthy spell out with an injury in the 2016/17 season.
(Reus has seen a number of teammates and friends leave BVB with Aubameyang and Gündoğan both ditching the Bundesliga to ply their trade in the English Top flight)
It is a massive risk for both Tottenham and Liverpool, yet if Reus didn’t have injury problems the German would be worth far more with his blistering speed unquestionable and his finishing at times deadly but only if a club keeps him fit.
The more likely destination should the German move is to Anfield linking up with former boss Jurgen Klopp who turned Reus into an absolute world beater during his time at Borussia Dortmund, but it is whether Reus could dislodge any of the “Fab Three” with both Firmino and Mane churning out good numbers this turn with Mane on 7 goals this season and Firmino on 13, and that is without mentioning Mohammed Salah who seems to be in a league of his own with 23 goals this term.
Yet should Reus join Liverpool he adds even more versatility to Liverpool’s attack and would be a key asset in Liverpool’s “Klopp to the top!”
For Tottenham, the supposed interest is unusual for Pochettinho, who has such an emphasis on bringing through youth players and buying young talent, so for the Argentine to supposedly want a 29-year-old upon the Summer Transfer Window’s reopening seems very out of character. Yet with so many clubs circling around Spurs Target Malcolm from Bordeaux Reus could be seen as the perfect backup option should the Brazilian fail to move to North London.
But owner Daniel Levy is a shrewd Businessman and may see the German as the ideal candidate for a “marquee” signing ahead of their move back to the fully renovated White Hart Lane balancing both star power and price with a Bale reunion at White Hart Lane looking likely to cost in excess of £50 million. But a deal for Reus may see the 56-year-old Brit show his savvy Businessman-like qualities once more.
Despite interest from Liverpool and Tottenham, it could be Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal who could be the dark horses to sign the German winger with former BVB teammates Henrick Mkhitaryan and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang both donning the red of Arsenal and international teammates Mezut Ozil and Mustafi both turning out for the Gunners.
But the least Arsenal need is another injury prone star amongst their ranks, and probably would only happen if Wenger leaves which is a debate for another day which I also wrote about; which you can check out by clicking my name and scrolling down. Shameless plug.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51897793/537555088.0.jpeg)
(The German has had a number of injuries in recent seasons missing out of the 2014 World Cup with injury having to pull out of the competition entirely with an ankle injury only a month before)
Reus is a risk, no doubt. Yet he is such a good player with pace, experience and creativity all a key asset of Reus’s overall game, but it is a question of whether he can be kept fit, week in week out. As a manager, you can’t rely on a player that keeps getting injured, case and point the previously mentioned Gareth Bale under Zidane at Real Madrid.
With the crazy fees being splurged out on mediocre players a fairly reasonable £25.6 million deal for an excellent one could be the key for domestic success next season; the only question is whether Reus will want to leave the familiarity of the Yellow wall or have a new adventure as the star approaches 30 years-old next season and could become a key asset in next season’s highly contested “Title Reus”.
Why George Evans can help Derby County challenge for Premier League promotion
As per Sky Sports, Derby County completed the signing of George Evans from Championship rivals Reading. Evans, who started as a Manchester City trainee, signed a three-year deal at Pride Park.
Derby manager Frank Lampard has been busy strengthening the Rams squad this summer, bringing in a lot of fresh faces to make his squad capable of challenging for the Championship title. The likes of Jack Marriott and Florian Jozefzoon have joined Derby on permanent deals while Harry Wilson and Mason Mount have also arrived on season-long loans.
George Evans, a defensive midfielder by trade, is expected to bring more energy and bite to Derby’s midfield in the upcoming season.
Evans, 23, rose through the academy at Manchester City, signing for the Cityzens at the age of just six. He made just one appearance for Man City’s first-team before leaving for Reading on a permanent basis in 2016. However, at City, he enjoyed three loan spells to the third tier, representing Crewe Alexandra, Scunthorpe United and Walsall.
The former England Under-19 international was a key player for Jaap Stam in the 2016/17 campaign as Reading were beaten in the playoff finals. Evans made 33 appearances that season under Stam but had limited game time last campaign due to massive competition for places at the Madejski Stadium.
As Evans had entered the final year of his contract at Reading, the club decided to cash in on him this summer after he fell down the pecking order under Paul Clement.
As far as his style of play is concerned, Evans is a holding midfielder by trade and he will challenge the likes of Tom Huddlestone, Joe Ledley and George Thorne for a regular starting spot at Pride Park. He fits the bill of a young, dynamic, versatile and influential midfielder that Lampard would surely like. Due to Evans’ versatility, he can also play in central defence.
A player who can play in the midfield or in central defence, Evans could be a fantastic addition for the Rams. At the age of 23, Evans already has some decent experience under his belt at a higher level and had previously played with Lampard at Manchester City. A hungry, intelligent and energetic player with good passing ability, Evans would add some much-needed steel to Derby’s engine room.
Read more: This £11m goal machine could fire Leeds to the Championship title – Bielsa mustn’t stop his pursuit
Evans is young and is an exciting midfield prospect who has bags of potential in him. Under the guidance of Lampard, the 23-year-old can certainly develop rapidly and help the Rams challenge for Premier League promotion this term.
Announcements
Well done Dyche – Burnley have completed a very important move by securing 29-year-old’s future
Why Matt Lowton signing a new contract is a step in the right direction for Burnley
As per reports, Burnley full-back Matt Lowton has penned a new three-year contract, which keeps him at Turf Moor until 2021.
Lowton, 29, who was under contract until 2020, has been a mainstay in Burnley’s defence for the majority of the three years he has spent with the club since moving from Aston Villa.
The right-back made 26 Premier League appearances for the Turf Moor outfit last season and assisted 3 goals. But it wasn’t a plain sailing for Lowton this past season as he tackled injury problems that saw him spend nearly two months on the bench after recovering from a knee injury.
Matthew Lowton
Lowton, Sean Dyche’s undisputed first-choice right-back, lost his place following a knee injury in November and has had to bide his time, with Phil Bardsley taking his chance in the former Aston Villa man’s absence. But Bardsley picked up a hamstring problem in early February that gave Lowton a chance to return.
And once Lowton displaced Bardsley in the first-team, it was difficult to shake him off, as the right-back maintained his good form until the final week of the season. That patience and determination to fight until the final minute of every game has made Lowton an endearing figure amongst the Burnley fans.
In 2015, Lowton sprung a surprise when he decided to drop down to the Championship, swapping Aston Villa for Burnley. Since becoming a part of the Clarets’ army, the 29-year-old has established himself as one of the most important figures under the management of Dyche. Lowton may not be a star figure at Burnley or a regular headline maker but his essence at Turf Moor is clear to see.
Solid if not spectacular, Lowton has stuck to his guns at Turf Moor, regularly leading the team by an example. He was one of the crucial figures for Burnley back in the 2015-16 campaign, helping the club win the Football League Championship title and earn promotion to the Premier League.
Despite making 26 Premier League appearances, Lowton also played his part in guiding the Clarets to a record 7th-place finish in the top-flight which saw them earn a place in the Europa League.
It is tough to describe how important Lowton is to Dyche and Burnley, as the marauding right-back has been a positive influence over his teammates ever since he stepped into the club. The defender’s passion, commitment, energy and leadership qualities have made him a firm fan favourite at the Lancashire-based club.
Read more: 6ft 5in colossus could be the final piece of Sean Dyche’s outstanding Burnley line-up
The new three-year deal apparently comes as the board’s reward for Lowton’s top-notch attitude and professionalism that has seen him cross every hurdle that has come in his way so far. All in all, Burnley securing Lowton’s future is a move in the right direction.
Announcements
Why Chelsea and Man United must blindly complete this high-profile swap deal involving £66m duo
Why a swap deal involving Martial and Willian could work wonders for both Chelsea and Man United
There are murmurs of a possible swap deal involving Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and Chelsea star Willian in the summer. Martial, who has fallen out of favour at Manchester United under Mourinho, missed out on a place in France’s World Cup squad.
Willian, on the other hand, has worked with Mourinho before at Chelsea, and the Portuguese manager wants to reunite with the Brazilian. Mourinho is trying to raid his former employers again after signing Nemanja Matic from Chelsea last summer.
So, let’s assess the situations of the two players and see if a swap deal would work for all the parties involved.
The scenario
Martial
Manchester United had to shell out an initial £36m to sign Martial from Monaco in the summer of 2015. The Frenchman has managed to show his quality in patches at Old Trafford.
But he has struggled for game time under Mourinho, who restricted Martial to just 18 Premier League starts last season. However, the 22-year-old scored nine goals and set up five more in 30 league appearances in the 2017/18 campaign.
Martial often found himself down the pecking behind the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Alexis Sanchez last season, and a move away from United could help him to revive his career.
Willian
Willian also struggled for game time last season as he managed just 20 Premier League starts. The Brazilian winger has a fractious relationship with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, who is close to heading out of Stamford Bridge.
Willian
Willian, who scored 6 goals and provided 8 assists in 36 league games in the 2017/18 campaign, would relish the prospect of reuniting with Mourinho at Old Trafford.
Moreover, joining Manchester United would give him the chance to feature in the Champions League next season as Chelsea missed out on a top-four finish last term. Mourinho is the one who brought Willian to England after signing him from Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala for £30m during his managerial stint at Chelsea.
The Verdict
It appears that both Willian and Martial are misfits at their respective clubs and a swap deal could prove to be good for all parties involved.
- Liverpool14 years ago
Raheem Sterling Age 17 Kids 3 Women 2
- Arsenal14 years ago
Etienne Capoue To Become An Arsenal Player In Summer
- Arsenal13 years ago
Robin van Persie wants to move back to Arsenal
- Arsenal13 years ago
Report: Arsenal Could Sign A Striker Next Week
- Headlines14 years ago
Manchester United Preparing A (Javier Hernandez + De Gea + 55 Million) Bid For Ronaldo
- Arsenal14 years ago
Arsenal Planning To Bring In ‘Next Fabregas’
- Headlines13 years ago
Three Reasons Why Manchester United Must Sign This “Next Vidic”
- Arsenal14 years ago
Nike Are In A Three Way Battle For Shirt Sponsorship With Arsenal, Man United And Man City