We are still over a month away from the winter transfer window but the English media have wasted no time in pedaling the same rumors every time an international break arrives. Their creating rumors linking half of Dortmund’s squad with moves to Premier League sides is a phenomenon that it nothing new, but the latest rumor of a Reus-Kagawa swap deal this winter doing the rounds is entirely baseless.

Facts and knowledge are always helpful in pouring cold water over such gossip. Marco Reus’ buy-out clause can only be activated in 2015. Borussia Dortmund cannot be forced into making any sales akin to the Gotze transfer to Bayern where they had no say in the matter. Dortmund won’t be selling their best players to any other club in the middle of the season, let alone anytime soon before the end of their contracts expires. If Reus ever chooses to leave, it can only happen after 2015. However, English papers such as The Daily Mail have gone as far as to claim that a swap deal involving both Reus and Gundogan in exchange for Shinji Kagawa is on, and that’s just the latest laughable piece of gossip to come out of England.

Marco Reus’ contract runs out in 2017. Money clearly isn’t the motivating factor for Marco as the player chose Dortmund over Bayern Munich in early 2012 when he chose to leave Gladbach. Reus has expressed his satisfaction for playing for his boyhood club where he was once a youth player. A renewal of his contract will finally end the repetitive gossip regarding Reus that seems to rear its ugly head every time an international break comes around the corner.

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The only realistic Dortmund target for clubs in Spain and England might be Ilkay Gundogan. The central midfield player has yet to sign any contract extension and his current deal expires in 2015. Real Madrid and Manchester United may be tempted to put in bids next summer in order to test Dortmund’s resolve. Gundogan does not have a release clause like Reus (the only BVB player with such a clause), but with his contract running out in a little over a year, will the Ruhr side be tempted to sell for around 30 million euros?

Dortmund are clearly in a very healthy financial state as they raked in record profits last season. Their refusal to sell Lewandowski and to make him see out the remainder of his contract showed that Dortmund do not necessarily need money from player sales any time soon. But can they afford to do the same with Gundogan? Or will they not mind selling a player who won’t extend to a non-German rival and find a replacement that is more eager to play for the yellow shirt? Gundogan is one of the best central midfielders in Germany and a bid for the young star next summer may well be worth discussing. However, even that could well be futile. Gundogan’s father Irfan came out today saying that contract talks have been put on hold due to his Ilkay’s current injury layoff, and that there is a chance of the player renewing his contract at Dortmund once he is fit.

A pair of contract extensions could finally silence the onslaught of grating rumors regarding BVB players and the English media and fans alike may finally look elsewhere to base their gossip. However until then, while a move for Reus is not worth contemplating, a move for Gundogan next summer is definitely plausible.