Where next for Marco Reus?

In football terms at least, £20m is awfully cheap for a player as talented as Marco Reus.

Next summer, the German is widely expected to become the latest high-profile footballer to leave Borussia Dortmund and there is no shortage of interest.

The 25-year-old's release fee is said to stand at £20m, which is perhaps half of what the attacker is truly worth on the current market.

With that in mind, Sports Mole has picked out five clubs potentially in the running for the talented forward.

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If recent reports are to be believed, Real Madrid are Reus's preferred club. Lightning quick and a devastating finisher, the German would fit in quite nicely at the Bernabeu. However, there is just the small matter of where the 25-year-old would actually play. Real could already do with fielding 12 players due to Isco's current form and when everyone is fit, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema are always in the team.

Not even Real Madrid could go to a four-man attack, but it will be difficult for the powers-that-be at the Spanish club to turn down a player of Reus's ilk, especially at the price mentioned. Reus isn't even a centre-forward, but has scored an incredible 47 goals in 99 games for Dortmund. It is also no surprise that Dortmund's struggles this season have occurred without a fully-fit Reus.

Would Reus and Real Madrid be the perfect couple? Perhaps. But it would take a brave man to tell Ronaldo that he is being moved from the left of the attack. That said, is it an opportunity Los Blancos will want to miss?

Like Real Madrid, Barcelona would have some – a lot – of difficulty fitting Reus into their current lineup. Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi are the three superstars, but youngsters in the shape of Adama Traore, Sandro Ramirez and Munir El Haddadi are also strongly knocking on the door. It is a problem that most managers would like to have, but what happens if Reus is added to the team?

Upsetting Messi is probably high on Luis Enrique's 'not to-do list' and another big-money signing might just unnerve the dressing room. Barca are certainly in the race, but the fact that, as it stands, they cannot sign any new players until January 2016 places the Catalan outfit in a difficult position. Would Reus wait? Or will the transfer ban be shortened on appeal?

Barcelona are not exactly short on attacking quality, but there is a general feeling that a place in the team – wherever that may be – could be available for Reus. Whether that would mean a deeper midfield role for Messi is currently unclear, but there will not be too many teams relishing the prospect of facing Suarez, Neymar, Messi and Reus. It is a four that could cause absolute carnage.

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It is not too difficult to see where Reus would fit into the Manchester City team. Sergio Aguero and David Silva will both play when the pair are fit, but there is an obvious gap that could be filled by the German international, who is just perfect for the Premier League. The Bundesliga is about as rough-and-ready as English football, which makes Reus even more desirable to English clubs.

At just 25, Reus could realistically provide six or seven high-quality seasons at his next club. The money is not an issue to any of the five teams on this list, but City's financial muscle might play a part on the contract side. The problem that the Premier League champions have is that they are still not widely seen among the greats of European football. Reus himself would not have grown up dreaming about playing for Manchester City, with the greatest of respect.

Times are changing at the Etihad, however, and progression in the Champions League has suggested that the club are very much on the right tracks. They will surely chase Chelsea all the way in the Premier League this season and would provide Reus with a genuine chance of winning trophies.

The memory of David Moyes is quickly fading at Manchester United as Louis van Gaal continues to rack up the wins in the Premier League. It was a busy summer for United in the transfer market, but it is understood that Van Gaal has plenty more money to spend in the coming months. Centre-backs are the priority, but an ageing forward line does need to be addressed.

For all the qualities of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata – and there are many – United do lack a real speedster in the final third. At times, it is a little too one-paced from the Reds, but the prospect of Reus joining Angel di Maria in the final third is one that will surely excite the club's supporters.

United promised in the summer that they could still compete with the big clubs for the best players and signing Reus would be a very good way to make that point. Van Gaal is notoriously a fan of German players and indeed ones that have exceptional quality. It is such an obvious and indeed necessary signing for the club, but as it stands, they are certainly down the pecking order.

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Reus, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa – that does not sound too bad a front three. Chelsea have not been heavily linked with a move for the German, but it would be a surprise if head coach Jose Mourinho was not exploring that avenue. The Portuguese is the master at identifying a signing and making sure the deal is completed.

Location is also another aspect that should be taken seriously. It never used to be much of an issue, but for a number of foreign players, a move to London is seen as more desirable than a move up North. Not just in regards to the player, but the whole entourage that come with the transfer. That could yet be Chelsea's joker card in the fight for the attacker's signature.

Chelsea might not have the weather of Spain or the history of Manchester United, but there is no question that they can compete with the biggest clubs when certain players become available. Under Mourinho, a challenge for major trophies is almost guaranteed. The chance to get one over on both Manchester clubs is also an opportunity that the Blues will not want to miss.

Written by
Matt Law