Gunners now favourites to sign Bundesliga ace.
Arsenal have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus after Barcelona dropped out of the running to sign him, CaughtOffside understands.
The German playmaker has been one of the best players in the Bundesliga for the last few years after some superb displays for Dortmund and for his previous club Borussia Monchengladbach, and his fine form has often seen him linked with bigger clubs.
Barcelona had long looked like the favourites to sign him this summer, with reports of the player agreeing personal terms over a switch to the Nou Camp and with the Catalan giants ready to meet his buy-out clause of £27.9m.
However, a deal for Reus to move to Barcelona stalled after his recent injury problem picked up on international duty with Germany, and the club have since received a transfer boost of their own with the news that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is desperate to join them next season.
With funds at the club limited at present, Barca have opted to focus their attention on beating their arch rivals Real Madrid to the big-money signing of Suarez, who would likely cost around £68m to prise away from Anfield in this transfer window.
Despite Reus being highly regarded by the La Liga runners-up, he is no longer their priority signing and may now be available for Arsenal to swoop in and bring another big name to the Emirates Stadium to follow up last summer’s £42.5m signing of Mesut Ozil.
The Dortmund star could be tempted to link up with the strong German contingent at Arsenal, joining the likes of Ozil, Lukas Podolski, Per Mertesacker and Serge Gnabry in north London, and his arrival would certainly give Arsene Wenger’s side another top class option upfront.
Despite usually playing just off the main striker with his current side, Reus scored 23 goals in 2013/14 and could compete with Olivier Giroud for a place spearheading the Gunners’ attack, as well as providing depth in the attacking midfield positions as well.
Arsenal too are willing to meet his £27.9m release clause, and this will be another high-profile transfer met with much joy by the club’s fans, who will be justified in thinking that further big spending is the way forward after Ozil’s signing last year coincided with an FA Cup win at the end of this season, the club’s first trophy since 2005.
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