Barcelona's transfer ban has claimed its first casualty, with Marca (via Goal Transfer Talk) reporting that Marco Reus has told the club he intends to join Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund instead.
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Per the report, the 25-year-old has no interest in waiting for the Catalans' transfer ban to be over.
In August, FIFA rejected an appeal, leaving Barcelona unable to sign players until January 2016. The 14-month ban is proving to be too lengthy for Reus' taste, who sees an opportunity to feature in the Spanish Capital.
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Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp had ambitions of keeping the talismanic winger on German soil, but admitted the difficulties of doing so in late November. "They had their own dreams, their own situations, different ideas, whatever," he said (via the Express). "So, we will see [about Reus].
"The most important thing is the story of this club will go on. We'll have to do it with other players."
Understanding the nature of modern football, Klopp remains adamant he will reinvigorate the side as his project progressed.
"It's not our idea to keep this team together until the end, until their 34 and they go away," he added. "That was not the idea. We did it because of the potential of these players."
And talent is something Reus boasts in spades.
In seven league appearances this season, the Real Madrid target has three goals and an average of 2.9 key passes. His presence in the midfield would only bolster what is already considered the world's best unit.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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