TEN things you should know about Arsenal target Marco Reus

It has recently been reported that Arsene Wenger is preparing to do battle with Bayern Munich for the signature of £15 million-rated German attacking midfielder Marco Reus.

The 22-year-old, who currently plays for Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany, was recommended to Wenger by former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

But who exactly is thing young star that has attracted the attentions of Arsenal and Bayern Munich?

Well here are 10 things you should know about Marco Reus:

1. Marco Reus started his career at Borussia Dortmund, where he spent 3 years with the youth team developing his talent.

2. Opting to leave Dortmund in the summer of 2006, he decided to join the Under-19 side of Rot Weiss Ahlen. He played in the Reserve side, where in his first year he featured 5 times, scoring on 2 occasions before breaking into the first-team where he had a impressive start and scored a goal on the final day of the season, helping his side win promotion.

3. It wasn’t until the 2008/09 season which saw Reus really start to make a name for himself. He attracted the attention of Borussia Monchengladbach after playing 28 games in all competitions, scoring 4 times and bagging 2 assists.

4. The end of the season saw him join Borussia Monchengladbach, who had been following Reus throughout the season, and on the 9th of May 2009 he signed a four-year deal.

5. Reus was determined to have an instant impact at Borussia Monchengladbach and to his credit he delivered in his first season at the club, featuring in 35 games and scoring on 8 occasions – his first goal came in his thrid match for the club against FSV Mainz.

6. It was Reus’ performance during 2009, which saw him get a call up for the German U21 side, making his first appearance in a friendly against the Turkish U21 side. However, it wasn’t a long stay in the side as he only featured in 2 under-21 games before being called up to the senior side.

7. The 22-year-old was called up to the German national side to face Malta in May 2010. However 3 days before the game, Reus was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury.

8. The 2010/11 season saw him break into double figures, scoring 12 goals and also making 10 assists in 37 matches. However Reus wasn’t done there, having missed out on his international debut due to injury in the final game of the year against Bayer Leverkusen, the youngster was determined to improve further under head coach Lucien Favre.

9. Reus made good on his word to improve. This season already has seen him come close to matching his total goals of the previous season, having scored 11 times in the first 14 matches for Borussia Monchengladbach.

10. It is hardly surprising that his form has seen him attract the interest of Arsenal and Bayern Munich. It is reported that Marco Reus has a minimum release clause in his current contract that comes into play at the end of this season, which would be for €18 million (£15.5 million). With Arsenal signing Pers Mertesacker in the summer, it could be another reason for Reus to join Arsenal next summer.

Here is a video of the attacking midfielder in action: