Manchester United in the mix for Marco Reus - Franz Beckenbauer

Marco Reus

Simon Rice

The battle for Marco Reus is likely to be fierce when the Borussia Dortmund player's release clause is activated next summer, and Manchester United are likely to be one of those in the mix.

That's the assessment of Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer.

With comments that are likely to further sour relations between Germany's two biggest clubs, Beckenbauer said he could imagine the midfielder playing somewhere different to Dortmund.

“I can imagine him at Bayern very well,” Beckenbauer told German newspaper Bild. “If you can get a player of his class, you need to try it.

“I am sure: if he doesn’t go to Bayern in 2015, he will probably go to another big international club such as Real Madrid or Manchester United. Dortmund are unlikely to be able to hold on to him.”

It is understood that Reus has a release clause in his contract of around £20m that will activate at the end of the season.

There is still a chance that Reus could move this summer. The Germany international, who suffered an injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, has been attracting interest according to his agent.

"Marco would improve any of Europe's top clubs so it is only normal that many of these clubs are making moves for him," Dirk Hebel said earlier this summer.

The 25-year-old midfielder could be the marquee signing that Manchester United so desperately need to kick-start a season that began in the worst possible way against Swansea on Saturday.