The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to uphold Barcelona’s transfer ban has reportedly cleared the way for Real Madrid to sign Marco Reus this summer.
The Borussia Dortmund star had already been heavily touted to join Los Blancos in the near future, but Marca claims the forward has already informed the German side that he will not wait another year to join La Blaugrana.
Thus, the CAS’ stance on Barca’s embargo is seen as a partial victory for Madrid in the sense that a direct competitor has been eliminated from the running, leaving a five-way battle for Reus to ensue at the end of the season.
The other clubs are believed to be Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, although the publication adds that the 25-year-old has a verbal pact with Madrid President Florentino Perez.
Reus’ contract expires in the summer of 2017, while a release clause of €25m was made public by the Bavarians’ patron Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Speaking earlier in the month, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke admitted his club were powerless to keep the winger.
"Marco Reus will decide by himself where he’ll go. If a team decide to meet his clause, there’s nothing we can do,” he said.
