We are all used to reading ridiculous transfer rumors that are pedaled by tabloids and journalists looking for eye-grabbing headlines on a slow news day. But lately there seems to be an avalanche of rubbish reporting from several English football outlets. Most recent evidence was an article from The Daily Mail linking Dortmund star Marco Reus with a transfer to Manchester United this January. It isn’t the first time that Reus has been linked with a move to the mid-table English side. The Mail, among several English outlets, have always linked the likes of Reus and the rest of Dortmund’s squad with extremely unlikely moves to Premier League teams. However, the latest article by The Mail reeked of desperation, ignorance, and even some arrogance.

The amusing article, written by John Edwards, claimed that “cracks emerged in Jurgen Klopp’s empire” due to Dortmund being third in the Bundesliga and Klopp’s innocuous jab at a journalist in a post match conference after the 2-2 draw at Hoffenheim. By mentioning that this injury-ridden team was falling out of the title race, Mr. Edwards basically insinuates that a bid this January from David Moyes’ side would be likely in an attempt to activate Reus’ release clause. The irony of this hypothetical situation (or Daily Mail utopia) is that by moving from Dortmund to United, Reus would be leaving ‘Klopp’s cracking Empire’ to the Sir Alex Ferguson-built Empire that is already crashing and burning. Why would Reus jump from the frying pan into the fire by joining the Manchester Side that are currently mired in 8th place? And even so, are Dortmund really in crisis as the author suggests?

In the Champions League, Dortmund have managed to top the group of death and have won their last two crucial fixtures despite the onslaught of injuries they suffered. They have now landed a manageable round of 16 tie against Zenit and will have time for key players to recover from injuries in the month long winter break ahead. And most importantly, it is worth noting that Reus’ release clause can only be activated in 2015. In the upcoming January window and summer transfer window, Dortmund will not be selling Reus to anyone. The other misconception in English circles is that Dortmund need money from transfers. Dortmund earned record profits from their European exploits last season and are in great financial shape. The Germans were even willing to shell out as much as 35 million for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to replace Mario Gotze in the previous window. But of course, all these facts do not fit in with the agenda of certain sections of the English media.

The Daily Mail is not the only English outlet coming up with such atrocious pieces of journalism regarding such improbable transfers. An article by English football website Hereisthecity has linked Dortmund player Marcel Schmelzer with a move to United this winter. The site, although relatively obscure compared to the bigger English outlets, comes up with a truly laughable rumor; a claim that Dortmund were chasing Fenerbache left back Michal Kadlec, a Bayer Leverkusen reject, thus opening up a possible move for Schmelzer to United in order to replace Patrice Evra in this January window. The sheer ludicrousness of this rumor, amongst countless other examples on such English sites regarding non EPL-players, exposes a certain level of ignorance as well as arrogance.

The Premier League is often touted to be the best league in the world by the English media, and the success of the Premiership’s global marketing and worldwide reach may reinforce that highly questionable view among many. It is therefore natural, of course, for a few individuals involved in these English media outlets to think that every player in the world wants to play in their league. However, in reality, a vast majority of the best players in the game play outside England. Messi, Ronaldo, Ribery, Neymar, Falcao, Gotze, Lewandowski, Ibrahimovic and countless others do not ply their trade in the Premier League. Marco Reus looks set to remain in that bracket for the foreseeable future.

The Dortmund star has never had any intention of leaving Dortmund, and Dortmund have no desire to sell. And as stated earlier, the German’s release clause does not come into effect until 2015. A few English football fans and journalists will simply have to accept the fact that some top class players simply won’t be coming to the Premier League, and that a top European side like Dortmund is not a feeder club for arguably inferior teams in England. Until then, we will be subjected to a perpetual onslaught of tedious, repetitive and lazy journalism that is based on nothing but pure speculation and delusions of the Premier League’s grandeur.