Reus deal: A safety net

Maybe it's just me, but the news that Marco Reus' contract has been extended until 2019 feels more like a delaying of the inevitable rather than the so-called life decision the attacker claims it to be. The evolution of modern football has made the environment in which the sport now reigns a wasteland of smoke and mirrors. I want to believe you Marco. I really do. But breaking down this extension leads me to one solution. Dortmund have now secured a safety net for Reus' eventual departure.

Last year, when the news first broke out that Reus may leave, I was convinced he would join Bayern. He wouldn't have to learn a new language, or change his playing style drastically. And he would get to play with his best friend again. With Bayern seemingly having first refusal - and opting out because they didn't want to further damage their relationship with BVB - Reus' decision not to move south shows that he is very much a BVB man. His departure to Bavaria would have been the proverbial nail in the coffin for the Bundesliga.

Over to you Real Madrid. Rumors of the attacker learning Spanish only helped fuel the likelihood of a departure, but with Madrid needing to dispose of one of their wingers - Gareth Bale apparently the most likely candidate - a stumbling block appeared. You don't just ship the most expensive player in the world.

Nevertheless, I still expected Reus to move to Spain. Real Madrid have always been fairly good at over-crowding the key positions so that didn't seem to be enough of a hurdle. The attacker's release clause was also paltry - 25 million euros - so all signs point to the Bernabeu. Add Dortmund's current plight to that and a move seemed the next logical step.

I was surprised to hear on Monday evening that Reus had indeed extended. Hans-Joachim Watzke does love to poke the fire doesn't he?

Reus' new deal runs until 2019, is valid in the second division should the unthinkable happen and has no release clause. It's perfect, for everyone involved. That's exactly why I still think Marco Reus won't be wearing yellow and black for longer than two years.

Dortmund will now be able to negotiate appropriate bids for their best player. Reus is 25 years old. In two years time, he'll be 27. If he can stay injury free, then his talent will continue to be a difference-maker for Dortmund and his value will rise. Anyone looking to table a 40-million-euro bid would stand a good chance. Remember, no player is bigger than the club and at some point, I think Marco's mind is going to wonder. His talent demands it.

If Reus can't shake his injury blues then in two years time, perhaps sooner, the playmaker will have regressed. He might have lost a yard or two, as well as that confident swagger. Dortmund will have kept their man but will suffer from his loss of quality.

I'd love to be wrong about this, but in a football era sparse of loyalty I feel it's a smart decision made for future gain. Of course I'm delighted that his talent will be on show in the Bundesliga for the immediate future, but his quality will soon outshine this league. When it does, Dortmund deserve to be compensated fairly and this deal means that they will be.