Hans-Joachim Watzke has told Ruhr Nachrichten that Marco Reus has not yet decided his future, but Borussia Dortmund's CEO is confident the Germany international will stay at his hometown club.
Reus, 25, missed Die Nationalmannschaft's last two games of 2014 with minor ankle problems, but could return for Dortmund in their match at local rivals Paderborn at the weekend.
Reus played 45 minutes in a test match against minor league side Havelse earlier this week and also completed full training sessions in the days that followed, with BVB coach Jurgen Klopp telling a news conference on Thursday that "Marco looks fit to play."
Dortmund, who are 15th in the Bundesliga -- and trail the Champions League qualifying positions by nine points -- will still be without centre-back Mats Hummels and long-term absentees Nuri Sahin, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Oliver Kirch, who Klopp says "are not as close as Reus" to full fitness.
The forward can reportedly trigger a 25 million-euro release clause at the end of the season, and despite being chased by a host of Europe's top clubs including domestic rivals Bayern Munich, Dortmund have not given up hope that Reus will stay at the Westfalenstadion.
"It's a fact that [Reus] identifies with the city, and even more so with BVB. There is a lot we can put in balance," Watzke said. "Marco is a great guy and he knows what he has here.
"I don't have the impression that he has drifted away from BVB for just a centimetre. Of course, we have set a date on which we want clarity, but this won't be in the upcoming weeks.
"We have other things to worry about right now. We need to get out of the relegation zone together, and then we'll see what happens this season. We also talk about a position, taken by admittedly a very important player. But BVB does not depend on [him]."
Watzke reiterated that Dortmund are now debt free, and could go without European football next season, saying: "That would not throw Dortmund back unlike in the past. Economically BVB are stronger than ever."
Still, a return to Champions League could be the main argument to convince Reus of staying at the club.
"BVB are still optimistic," Matthias Dersch of Ruhr Nachrichten told ESPN FC. "But it all hinges on the sporting development."