Manchester United target Marco Reus signs new four-year contract at Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund hope Marco Reus can go on to define the club in the same way Steven Gerrard has done for Liverpool after the German signed a new contract at the Westfalenstadion.

Reus, 25, has been repeatedly linked with a move away from Dortmund throughout the past two seasons with each of Europe's elite clubs credited with interest in him.

The inclusion of a release clause in the midfielder's contract – worth just £20m – and Dortmund's dismal form this season, which sees them stranded in 16<sup>th place, cast further doubt on the player's long-term future.

But Reus has boosted Dortmund's hopes of holding on to the player after signing a new contract until 2019.

"I am very happy with my decision to sign a new deal with BVB," Reus said. "Dortmund is my hometown, and to choose Borussia was easy.

"I look forward to a successful future with our team with our fantastic fans behind us."

Reus, who has scored 34 goals in 72 league appearances for the Bundesliga side, has been the subject of reports suggesting he had signed pre-contract agreements with both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the past. Manchester United and Arsenal have also been credited with keen interest in the player but Dortmund now expect Reus to become a permanent fixture of their side for years to come.

"We refused to believe all the transfer rumours and always felt there was a good chance that this extraordinary player would commit his future to BVB," Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said.

"Marco can define an era in Dortmund as Uwe Seeler did in Hamburg or Steven Gerrard in Liverpool.

"The fact that Marco made this decision in the midst of a sporting crisis at BVB shows how much he identifies with the club and that makes us very proud."