What will Marco Reus bring to the Premier League?

Germany’s Marco Reus suffered the agony of having to watch from the sidelines as his international team mates lifted the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. An ankle injury, suffered in the 6-1 warm up win over Armenia at the start of June kept the 25 year old out of the tournament but that hasn’t stopped a host of rumours linking the player with a move to the Premier League.

The Candidates

After finishing in seventh place last season, Manchester United are least favourites to win the Premier League in 2014-15 and the Old Trafford club are believed to be the front runners for Reus’ signature. Elsewhere, Liverpool have tried to distance themselves from reports linking them with a move but that hasn’t made stories of a switch to Anfield go away.

Reus is the type of player who would improve any of English football’s top sides and if current employers Borussia Dortmund are prepared to sell, the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea would surely be interested.

But what type of player is Marco Reus and what would he bring to the Premier League if he were to make the switch this summer?

Vital Goals

Reus is just one of a seemingly endless list of attacking midfielders to have thrived in the German national set up under Joachim Low. However, his goals to games ratio is far more favourable than contemporaries such as Mario Gotze, Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos and currently, Reus averages around a goal every other league match for Borussia Dortmund.

The 25 year old has also found the net seven times in 21 full internationals so clearly he should provide a serious attacking threat for any new employer in the English Premiership.

Dead Ball Specialist

Manchester United have given us some great free kick takers in recent years. David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo were deadly just outside of the box but the retirement of Ryan Giggs has taken away the last of their dead ball specialists.

Reus can fill that void at United or at any Premier League side and a quick search of YouTube will showcase some spectacular free kicks for his Bundesliga team. The value of having such a reliable place kicker can’t be underestimated and Marco Reus is one of the best exponents in World Football right now.

Comparisons

Reus has been compared to all of the attacking midfielders in this current Germany squad and in particular, he has been likened to the man who scored the winning goal in the final – Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze.

In weighing up the qualities of each player, both men were compared to Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi in terms of their skill with the ball at their feet. Like Messi, both Gotze and Reus can create goals from seemingly hopeless situations but while Gotze’s main threat comes in the opposing penalty area, it’s thought that Reus will contribute goals from all across the pitch.

But it’s that scoring ratio that will have the top teams in Europe battling to land this exciting midfielder from Dortmund this summer. Previously, while at Borussia Monchengladbach, Marco Reus was averaging just higher than one goal every three games and that’s impressive enough for an attacking midfielder. However, his record at Dortmund would be coveted by any striker in World Football. 

Since joining in 2012, 30 goals in 62 league matches suggests that the 26 year old is ready for the challenges of the Premier League and whether he signs for Liverpool, Manchester United or anyone else, he will surely enhance that team’s chances of lifting the title.