Marco Reus
Reus has explained his reasoning for moving to Dortmund over interest from numerous other clubs. REUTERS

German media are reporting that Marco Reus has a €35 million exit clause in his contract, and despite the fact that the Arsenal target has committed to Borussia Dortmund until 2017, he could leave earlier if a club is able to post the money to the German outfit.

All hope appeared lost for Arsene Wenger to lock down the striker after he signed with Borussia Monchengladbach from Dortmund at the beginning of 2012 for the next five years. But Bild claims that the 22 year old can leave if a club pays the right price, and the German club will be unable to refuse one of €35 million.

Arsenal were on the lookout for a striker for January to fill the space left by Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho, who are both Africa Cup of Nations-bound for the month. While Thierry Henry will fill the void for the time being, when the pair return, both will be vying for more game time as they compete with Robin van Persie for a shot on the pitch.

Chamkakh in particular has been vocal about wanting more of a chance to shine, and while Wenger has said he believes the Morocco international is a top striker, with van Persie's current form he just can't give him the game time he has requested.

Dortmund boss Hans-Joachim Watzke refused to comment on the matter of Reus' exit fee, telling Bild: "We basically say nothing about contractual content."

Clubs are typically cagey about the possibility of exit clauses on their stars' contracts, and Arsenal will no doubt be looking at the situation closely to judge if Reus is worth his price.

€35 million would be a record signing for Arsenal by far, with the club not often dipping over £10 million for a fresh face. But Wenger has insisted on many occasions that the side would spend big if they found the right player, and Reus could just be the future European star that the Frenchman is endlessly on the lookout for.

While Reus is committed to staying in Germany and proving his worth in the Bundesliga, the lure of playing for a club who are serious contenders for the Champions League trophy could be too much for the starlet if Arsenal were to make an offer.

In November, Monchengladbach manager Lucien Favre claimed that Wenger had checked in on Reus' situation, but only wanted the starlet on loan.

"Yes! Jens Lehmann gave him a tip to watch Marco. Then Arsene called me," he said.

"I know Arsene very well and told him the truth: Marco is a very, very interesting player. But I am coach of Borussia and want to keep him."

But now that Favre has lost his prize to Dortmund, Wenger can continue to monitor the youngster with a clear understanding of how much he will cost to bring to Arsenal.

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