İlkay Gündoğan makes Manchester City better instantly

Manchester City have confirmed the capture of Borussia Dortmund midfielder İlkay Gündoğan, for a fee reportedly in the region of £20 million. His signing comes as new coach Pep Guardiola starts to reshape a rapidly aging City first team, and bids to add greater creativity to a midfield that has been rather lacking in it over the last few seasons.

Capped by the German national team 16 times, 25-year-old Gündoğan was once touted as one of the world’s best young players. He was a big part of Jürgen Klopp’s Dortmund team that pulled off an impressive domestic double back in 2012, and the one that reached the Champions League final a season later, only to be beaten by Bayern Munich. Fitness concerns have seen his progress stall slightly, but City clearly feel he’s still got what it takes to compete with the very best.

The answer to this question largely depends on whether he really is over his recent injury problems. Gündoğan made only one Bundesliga appearance in the 2013-14 season courtesy of a persistent back injury, and though he’s been a regular in Dortmund’s subsequent campaigns, City must have been a little bit more wary when conducting his medical than they otherwise would. If he really has been able to make a complete recovery, there is little doubt that the £20 million price tag is something of a steal for a player so young, and so talented.

Gündoğan is something of a midfield all-rounder, and should have no problem adapting to the rigors of Premier League football. Perhaps the most encouraging sign on his return from injury is that he hasn’t lost the energy that characterized his early performances at Dortmund, nor his ability to supplement his excellent creative play with an ability to shield the defense with strength and intelligence when required. Modern football appears to have been characterized, at least in part, by the gradual specialization of midfielders into more distinctive roles. Gündoğan, with an impressive range of attributes, bucks this trend.

Gündoğan’s arrival is likely to spell the end for Yaya Touré at Manchester City. The Ivorian international is undoubtedly a legend at the Etihad, and played an instrumental part in their first-ever Premier League win back in 2012. However, his unwillingness to do his defensive duties has become increasingly evident over the last season, and City have often paid the price for having a passenger in the center of the park. He’s been linked to clubs in Italy and China recently, and having already sold him once before, the incoming Guardiola isn’t likely to block his departure.

However, that should mean City will hold onto their two other important central midfielders, Fernando and Fernandinho, for depth if nothing else. They’re both solid if unspectacular players, and one or both of them will be relegated to a bit-part role depending on whether Gündoğan is City’s only midfield reinforcement this summer.

Recent signs have suggested that Gündoğan’s historical struggle with injuries isn’t a cause for immediate concern. He’s been a regular for Dortmund over the last couple of seasons, and looks to be back to something like his best. Providing things stay like that, City will have pulled off one of the signings of the summer at a relatively small fee.