Bizarre rule means LA Galaxy must pay another MLS team to sign Borussia Dortmund legend Marco Reus
LA Galaxy are signing Marco Reus on a free transfer but must pay a fellow MLS side over the deal.
Reus' contract with Borussia Dortmund expires on June 30 and he is leaving the Bundesliga side after 12 years of service.
He played his final game on Saturday, coming off the bench in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid at Wembley.
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Although there were offers on the table from Saudi Arabia and Manchester United, the 35-year-old's next move is destined to be the MLS, with a slew of clubs believed to have shown interest.
According to journalist, Cesar Luis Merlo, Reus will pen a deal with LA Galaxy until 2025 - with the option of an extra year.
He will follow in the footsteps of the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
But while Galaxy will not pay a fee as he will be a free agent, an MLS rule means Charlotte FC, managed by former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith, are owed money.
As per The Athletic, Charlotte had priority to sign the former Borussia Monchengladbach man after securing his discovery rights.
Every team in the league is able to have a maximum of seven players on their discovery list.
It means that teams have to pay a sum to the club who "discovered" their new signing, in this case Reus.
And though Reus never played for them, Charlotte FC will pocket $350,000 due to the rule.
St Louis City were also keen on Reus and their goalkeeper Roman Burki, his former teammate, expects to see him in the MLS.
He told ESPN: "I talked to Marco Reus ahead of the Champions League game, I texted, we didn't talk about the move then because he was obviously focused on the game, but Major League Soccer has a very good chance of seeing him next year or the summer.
"I can't tell which team, I am still trying [to convince him] but at some point it's up to [sporting director] Lutz [Pfannenstiel] and [club owner] Carolyn [Kindle] to make a move."
Reus will not be a designated player at Galaxy due to all three of their spots being taken.
Therefore, the maximum he can earn will be $1.7million.
Topics: LA Galaxy, MLS, Borussia Dortmund
Josh Lawless