What Marco Reus Transfer Would Mean to Manchester United and Shinji Kagawa

After a fractured summer of painful transfer activity, Manchester United may be about to finally make a splash in the correct swimming pool.

I recently wrote for Bleacher Report about five players that Manchester United fans would love to see at Old Trafford. These five players were not fantasy signings, but footballers who would take David Moyes' current squad of champions and solidify United's chances of success.

More importantly, they were players all within the strict transfer budget of the Glazer family. 

One of those players I listed was Marco Reus. 

A month on from that article, and the Daily Express' Charles Perrin is reporting that Manchester United are now in pursuit of the brilliant German. 

The skill set offered by Reus has been on full display to the whole of Europe since he rejoined his boyhood club Borussia Dortmund two years ago. In that short time, he has turned into one of the hottest attacking midfielders on the planet.Borussia Dortmund" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borussia_Dortmund">

This year, the Bloomberg Sports List (h/t Sky Sports)—which utilizes scientific analytics—positioned Reus as the fourth-best player in Europe behind Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery. 

However, why would United want Reus when they passed on Mesut Ozil and have the slowly improving Shinji Kagawa in their squad?

The scenario is similar to when Sir Alex Ferguson snatched Robin van Persie away from the clutches of Manchester City. At the time, many fans felt the last thing United needed was a striker when the hole in the team was clearly in the center of the pitch. 

Owen Hargreaves had been purchased to fill this void many years previous, but after his capitulation to injury, the team has moved forward with a cocktail of Tom Cleverley and Phil Jones next to the consistency of Michael Carrick.

The real issue of a "bulldog" midfielder was not addressed by the signing of Marouane Fellaini.

So why Reus?

Firstly, the fans are craving a big name. They need a player to fix the fuse that wires the electricity directly to their hearts. While many backed the appointment of Moyes, a whole sector of the supporter base did not. The failure in the market in the summer months compounded this.

Even though the vast majority of fans who fill the stands at Old Trafford believe in the current manager, there are millions worldwide who simply do not and need more of a bone for their figurative dog to chew on.

Reus would represent a sizable capture for the club, a player who could help lead United into a brave new era. He is the type of player that fits the traditions of the famous red shirt: He is fast, elusive and dynamic.

In the closing chapters of Ryan Giggs' playing career, Reus would be the heir apparent to the No. 11 shirt. 

Secondly, you only have to look at a player Manchester United signed 21 years ago—almost to the day.

The signing of Eric Cantona transformed the club's fortunes that season. United had suffered an incredibly disappointing start to that campaign, but the Frenchman's arrival refocused the troops and the club stormed to its first title since 1967.

This United team have suffered a similar start under the stewardship of Moyes. The campaign needs a shot in the arm and the capture of Reus would galvanize the team immediately.

However, what becomes of Kagawa? Would the arrival of Reus be the end of the Japanese international at United?

Based on Jurgen Klopp's comments to Donald McRae of The Guardian, it is clear that the Borussia Dortmund manager is still a huge fan of his former player and would not have a problem taking him back to Germany as part of any deal.

"

Shinji Kagawa is one of the best players in the world and he now plays 20 minutes at Manchester United - on the left wing! My heart breaks. Really, I have tears in my eyes.

He's an offensive midfielder with one of the best noses for goal I ever saw.

"

As romantic as a Klopp and Kagawa reunion might be to a Dortmund fan, I cannot see Moyes allowing this to happen. 

There is a place at Manchester United for both Reus and Kagawa. 

The key to this conundrum might well be Wayne Rooney. With no new contract currently agreed to, there is always the chance that the player will not sign a new deal. According to David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror, United seem to be in no rush to sign a new deal with the player, but this sounds all a bit too much like Van Persie's final 18 months at Arsenal. 

If Rooney does leave, then Kagawa will be well-placed to take up that role behind Van Persie that he craves, flanked on either side by Reus and the brilliance of Adnan Januzaj.

I think Moyes would be very confident in delivering success with that attack. 

Time will tell if United can deliver a name as huge as Reus, but it should not be at the expense of Kagawa.

Dortmund's loss would be the Red Devils' unequivocal gain and the first bricks of a new era would be cemented into the foundations of Manchester United Football Club.