Why Dortmund's Marco Reus Will Choose Real Madrid Transfer over Barcelona

Battles are so often needless. They really are. So regularly accompanied by gross excess, winners tend to be few in number while casualties are typically vast. 

Of course, such a perception isn't specific to football. Yet, in this case, it's relevant. 

The competing sides are stacked with resources—neither have a need. They already stand alongside each other as powerhouses. But extravagance and bragging rights count in these things. 

Thus, a battle ensues. 

"Reus dumps Barca for Real Madrid," was the war cry of Marca this week, as the capital-based outlet proclaimed Real's advantage in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus. To further emphasise the point, the newspaper's Jose Felix Diaz added: "Catalan club pleads for patience."

It's a provocative declaration. The sort that both stirs excitement among those with an allegiance to Los Blancos and fuels the rivalry that bubbles between Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

In fact, it's the rivalry that drives the excess. How else can you explain two clubs already possessing a massive portion of the world's elite talent to be chasing yet another asset of that calibre?

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

The thing is, these battles between the two clubs have tended to be tight. Their pulling power has often been the same, even though so many other aspects of the clubs differ significantly. 

But this contest doesn't look like a close one. At all. 

For everything is so heavily stacked in Real Madrid's favour at present.

Most notably, Los Blancos are free to spend in the coming 12 months, while the Catalans continue to serve a transfer ban that runs until the beginning of 2016.

As Diaz pointed out, that's a colossal advantage:

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Real Madrid are already manoeuvring, with a meeting with the player's agent in Germany scheduled. At the Bernabeu they fancy their chances of sealing his signing after their most recent talks, something which Barcelona and their president Josep Maria Bartomeu have had to watch from the sidelines due to their FIFA transfer ban.

Interestingly the Catalan club was among the first to approach Reus as they see in him someone whose style is closely matched to their understanding of the game. Barcelona now, in view of the fact they cannot make any signings next summer, have asked the player to wait a year until they regain the right which FIFA has withdrawn from them, for their questionable practices in the signing of young players.

"

Lars Baron/Getty Images

In other circumstances, that handicap for Barcelona might not be so troublesome. Some players will wait for the right suitor to present themselves. 

This, however, doesn't look to be one of those instances. 

Reus currently finds himself in a sinking Dortmund outfit, one that's slumped alarmingly into the bottom three on the Bundesliga table and looks extremely unlikely to push for Champions League qualification by season's end. 

Immediacy, therefore, is likely to be at the forefront of the German's mind. At 25 (26 in May), Reus has perhaps five years left at his peak—a time frame that might be shorter given his injury history. Watching another barren year pass until the Blaugrana are ready isn't likely to appeal. 

And given that his contract at the Westfalenstadion contains a release clause of just €25 million, Real Madrid in all their financial power won't have any trouble triggering that. 

"

Marco Reus has been taking spanish classes for 3 weeks now. Real Madrid & Barcelona are interested. [BILD] pic.twitter.com/y3clF0ZL2f

— RMadridHome (@RMadridHome) December 9, 2014"

Of course, you may ask why Los Blancos need a player of Reus' abilities. With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Jese, Isco, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos already forming a blistering attacking cast, why would the European champions need to add another such weapon?

Frankly, they don't. But it's the Real Madrid way. This is the club's identity under president Florentino Perez. If a new star can be signed, great; if Barcelona can be dealt a blow at the same time, even better. 

Additionally, all the hints are there: Carlo Ancelotti has already described Reus as the best Germany star, per ESPN FC, while veteran Brazilian manager Tite has said that the Italian mentioned Reus' name when discussing Cruzeiro's midfielder Lucas Silva.

"Ancelotti told me that they could sign [Silva] and asked me if he could play in the position of [Luka] Modric or [Toni] Kroos, because he told me 'the president does not sign defenders,'" Tite told Sportv, per ESPN FC. "[Perez] wanted to sign Reus and Ancelotti asked him where he could fit him in." 

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

The process appears to be underway. Real Madrid, while still likely eyeing next summer as the opportune moment, look several steps ahead of Barcelona in the race for the German. 

Some might even say they're winning the battle. And even though that's likely to continue until the saga is resolved, it's still a needless one. A battle drizzled in excess. 

But one that Real Madrid look poised to win nonetheless.