Rumour: Manchester United will have to break transfer record to sign Marco Reus from Borussia Dortmund

Manchester United have been apparently informed by Borussia Dortmund that they will have to shell out up to £40 million and break the club’s transfer record to lure Marco Reus away from the Westfalenstadion.

The 24-year old German is believed to be one of David Moyes’ prime targets as he looks to add new players to a Manchester United side that has looked bereft of ideas in the attacking third of the pitch. Although it was initially believed that Reus had a £29.4 million buy-out clause in his contract at Borussia Dortmund which runs till the summer of 2017, the situation has changed since Bayern Munich snatched Mario Gotze last summer by activating a similar clause.

Manchester United had sent scouts over to Germany to monitor Reus but it remains to be seen whether they will make a move for the player in January given that he is cup-tied. A player plus cash deal could also be a possibility with Shinji Kagawa going back to Germany.

The Borussia Dortmund front-man has endured a relative dip in form of late but will no doubt be a welcome addition to the United squad given that he can play in a number of attacking positions.