3 Reasons Why Signing Reus Will Make Manchester United Title Contenders Again

Barcelona’s acquisition of Luis Suarez spells good news for not just the Catalan club but also for Manchester United as well. It means that Marco Reus who looked set to switch Dortmund for Catalonia will now have to look elsewhere if he wants to move away from Borussia Dortmund. Some reports had hinted that Reus was very close to sign for the Catalan club, but Suarez’s signing means that they are unlikely to go in for another high-profile summer signing.

That means that the door is now open for Manchester United to swoop in and sign the talented German attacking midfielder/winger. With the Red Devils on the lookout for a winger, Reus would certainly represent an upgrade on the current crop of wingers at Van Gaal’s disposal. Although it is unlikely that Reus would want to move to a club that isn’t playing in the Champions League, the presence of Van Gaal might and the possible addition of another Dormund player in Mats Hummels might just make him change his mind.

Having said that, here are three reasons why Reus would prove to be a good signing at United.

1. Would fill the void on the left flank

One look at United’s squad would tell you that although they lack quality wingers, there is no lack of players who can play on the left wing. Kagawa was time and again used on the left flank since his move from Dortmund, Danny Welbeck was on the left and at times even Wayne Rooney played there in the last 18 months. But the problem with all of those players was that it wasn’t their natural position.

Although the left flank has been an area that has brought them a lot of joy in attack, much of that was down to Patrice Evra’s forays from the back and not due to the quality of left wingers on show. Although Reus is primarily an attacking midfielder, last season he predominantly operated from the left flank. He played there for Germany as well and would be a perfect signing for the Red Devils, especially since they are looking for a left-sided attacking player.

2.Would make the attack more fluid

If there was a common criticism of Manchester United last season, it was that they were far too predictable. It looked as though their aim was to simply get the ball out wide and put in cross after cross, without worrying about whether there was anyone inside or not. None of the wingers interchanged positions with any real effect and that made them easy to play against.

The addition of Reus would make the attack immediately more fluid. A front three of Mata, Reus and Januzaj would make the attack highly fluid. All three can interchange positions with great effect and can also be effective there. Mata started his career on the wings at Valencia, Januzaj can play on both wings and Reus can play centrally and also out wide. This would make the attack more dynamic and a lot more difficult to contain.

3. Signal intent

Although Manchester United have already signed Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, neither player can currently be classified as World Class. Neither are game-changers and neither are likely to drive fear into the opposition. So far, although they have been linked with a lot of top players like Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria, they haven’t been able to sign any of them.

The signing of Reus would not only improve their attack but also prove to the rest of the League that they are in it to win next season. His addition would not only signal their intent but might also mean that others might follow. Not only will United be signing a world-class attacking midfielder, they will also be signing a player who might well bring with him a few more and show the others United have been chasing that United are the real deal and that last season was just a minor blip.