Should Borussia Dortmund Have Sold Marco Reus to Manchester United?

Football, like many aspects of life, often comes down to a game of “what ifs” when retrospectively viewed in rewind. What could have been if that shot hadn’t hit off the bar, if that player hadn’t gotten injured, if that manager hadn’t been sacked. The history of the beautiful game offers endless possibilities to look back and imagine what could have been from one season to the next.

Today, we need not venture very far to consider one of these possibilities. We have to go back a mere few months to consider just what could have been if Borussia Dortmund had accepted Manchester United’s offer of £50 million for Marco Reus.

As expertly reported by Miguel Delaney for ESPN on September 2, the Premier League side stumped up the sizable sum for the German international, only to be asked to increase their bid by a further £10 million. Man United never returned with another bid, and Reus remained the Westfalenstadion’s most favoured son.

But was that the right move by the club?

If you were to ask any Dortmund fan such a question, you would very quickly have been told that it was, followed by a minute or two of sheer abuse. Not only is the attacking midfielder their very best forward, but he is the one player within this squad who could help them reclaim the Bundesliga title and further success in Europe.

Despite Dortmund’s horrid campaign last season under Jurgen Klopp, Reus still amassed an impressive 11 goals and six assists in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt. Like any truly great player, the German forward transcended the problems within the team at that time and continued to perform admirably.

In a season-long nightmare for many supporters, Reus was a constant source of light and hope—a welcome reminder that not all was lost and that this team could bounce back. Such appreciation from the Westfalenstadion faithful was evident when the German international announced that he would be signing a contract extension earlier this year. For many fans, that was better than any trophy that was up for grabs.

TORU YAMANAKA/Getty Images

However, in the modern game, every player has his price. Cristiano Ronaldo finally parted company with Man United after the right fee was agreed, Kaka left AC Milan for a certain price and even Bastian Schweinsteiger left Bayern Munich once the club were happy with the money they were getting in exchange.

Reus’ contributions to Dortmund over the past three years have been exceptional, and he has received praise the world over for it, but they haven’t been priceless—simply because nothing in football is truly priceless. As long as there is a big enough budget, any player can be and probably should be signed.

At £50 million, Reus would have been valued alongside the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Gareth Bale and (once upon a time) Ronaldo himself—a fitting group of players to share one’s company with. And let’s not forget just what Dortmund could have done with that sizable sum of money.

Atletico Madrid—a club not only similar to Dortmund in size but in situation within its own domestic division—perhaps offer the best example of selling their best players and reinvesting the money perfectly.

Many assumed the Madrid side would tumble back down the league table once they sold Diego Costa to Chelsea, but instead they signed winger Antoine Griezmann, two strikers in Mario Mandzukic and Alessio Cerci and a new shot-stopper in Jan Oblak. Diego Simeone’s side may not have retained their league title, but few could doubt that they looked just as strong.

With £50 million, Dortmund could have gone on a real spending spree and truly plugged a number of the holes that keep the team from truly challenging Bayern on the domestic front. Despite the excellent work Thomas Tuchel has done so far this season, a new central defender, perhaps a few full-backs and another striker to challenge Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could have made this side league contenders overnight.

Ultimately, Reus will always be the hero of the Yellow Wall, but every player has his price. Dortmund’s fans applauded their board’s decision to reject the sizable sum of money, but in years to come, it will be interesting to see just how many fans look back and play a quick game of “what if.”

What if Dortmund had sold Marco Reus for £50 million and used it well enough to beat Bayern to another Bundesliga title?