Marco Reus has once again emerged as a target for Arsenal as uncertainties over the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez continue to grow
Arsenal have been linked with Reus several times over the years, and the winger was rumoured to be on the verge of joining Arsenal before he opted for Borussia Dortmund back in 2012. Reus was again linked with moves away from Dortmund in 2014 before committing his future to the German club.
But he is apparently being singled out as a replacement for either Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil by Arsene Wenger according to reports. The Daily Telegraph claim that Arsenal’s priority is still to convince the duo to extend their contracts past the current expiry date of 2018.
And that they would be extremely reluctant to let the pair play into the final year of their contracts if no agreement could be reached by next August, despite Arsene Wenger’s recent claim that he would rather lose them for free in 18 months than sell them at the end of the year.
The report claims that Wenger will target Reus should one of those players leave at the end of this season and cites Reus’ versatility and ability to play anywhere across the frontline as a factor in Wenger’s choice. There is absolutely no doubt that Reus is a wonderfully gifted footballer but will he be able to make up for the absence of one of those players?
Blessed with wonderful technique and speed to boot, Reus is capable of running with the ball at pace and slaloming past opponents with ease. Reus is also a very creative player and his link-ups with Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski, when the latter pair were at Borussia Dortmund, were a joy to watch.
Reus is also quite a clinical finisher and has the kind of all-round ability that makes you feel he would fit into any one of the big clubs with absolute ease.
He has been a key part of Dortmund’s successes in the last few years and has already hit the ground running this season after missing the opening stages through injury.
The German has made only 6 appearances for Dortmund this season – 2 of which have been as a substitute – but has already scored 4 goals and assisted 4 more. Those are great stats for a player who was clearly not completely sharp after a return from injury, but such is Reus’ ability that he is able to immediately impact games whenever fit.
The major concern that remains, however, is Reus’ fitness. He has missed significant parts of the last two seasons, having missed a total of 30 games across all competitions through injury last year due to a variety of injuries ranging from hamstring and muscle issues to groin problems and ankle injuries.
He has only crossed more than 30 games in the league on two occasions with Borussia Dortmund, and even this season only made his first appearance for the club in November.
Arsenal themselves have the kind of injury history that is a source of amusement to rival fans and neutrals alike. The Gunners have gone through a period where their performances suffer almost every season, and this almost always coincides with an injury to a key player.
This season, Cazorla’s injury against Ludogorets resulted in a run of draws with the players and Arsene Wenger himself bemoaning the loss of such an influential player. Shkodran Mustafi’s recent injury has resulted in immediate back-to-back losses with Arsenal conceding soft goals in their games against both Everton and Manchester City.
Arsenal’s reliance on one or two players has cost them dearly in the past and it could do so again, should Arsene Wenger simply look to Reus as a replacement as opposed to an addition. One can only imagine where the Gunners would have been this season had Alexis Sanchez picked up an early long-term injury.
Arsenal’s strength in depth was hailed at the beginning of the season and on paper, the squad did look like the strongest incarnation Arsene Wenger has assembled in recent years.
A few injuries later and Arsenal are back in 4th position, albeit temporarily, which only goes to show how easy it is to overestimate a team before the beginning of the season.
Over-reliance on Alex Iwobi was never going to be a wise move and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is simply too inconsistent to be trusted as a first team player from a long-term perspective.
Reus would definitely be a brilliant signing for Arsenal but not if he is only signed as a replacement. A frontline of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Marco Reus and an in-form Theo Walcott would strike fear into the hearts of any defence in the world.
The thought of Reus combining with Ozil and Sanchez is an eye-watering one as all 3 are capable of moments of utter individual brilliance, but are equally capable of creating some breathtaking moves with their teammates.
Take one or two of those names out, however, and it doesn’t look too much better than what Arsenal currently have. At 27, Reus is hitting his peak and could form a beautiful partnership for a few years with Ozil and Sanchez should the latter two decide to stay on.
There is another upside should Wenger decide to sign Reus regardless of any departures. This could be exactly the sign that Ozil and Sanchez need to see in order to commit their futures to the club.
