Player focus: Danilo

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Manchester City's summer splurge continues, with the acquisition of Real Madrid defender Danilo taking their spending to over £150 million. Despite having played for the European champions, the Brazilian made relatively few appearances. As such, there is a question mark over how good this 26 year-old really is. He will have little problem winning over City fans, however, having publicly turned down a transfer to rivals Chelsea.

Flexibility and competition

Pep Guardiola likes players who can perform in several positions, which may be a factor in his signing Danilo. The Brazilian can play in either fullback position, as well as in defensive midfield. Considering two of City's other major signings are fullbacks (Mendy and Walker), this may be key to Danilo getting minutes on the field. He personally insists he has signed to compete for the right back berth, but Kyle Walker was arguably the best player in his position last season – it will be a tough nut to crack. Danilo's only major advantage over Walker is that he is truly two-footed, whereas the Englishman is very dependent on his stronger foot to cross and shoot.

Scapegoat

Real Madrid fans are notoriously fickle and unrelentingly hostile should a player fail to live up to their lofty expectations. Unfortunately for Danilo, he was often made a scapegoat for his side's failings - especially in cases of defensive weakness. The first task on Guardiola's to-do list is rebuilding Danilo's confidence.

Defending

As noted ad nauseam by a variety of pundits, the English game is defined by its pace and muscularity. Danilo's defensive skills are the subject of vigorous debate amongst Madrid fans. Some point to his positive tackling and interception stats as evidence he has been unfairly maligned. However, analysis has shown the Brazilian's positioning can leave something to be desired. By marauding forward he can leave his flank exposed and put the central defender in an awkward position. His new teammate Kyle Walker made this mistake many times during his career at Spurs, using his pace to make up for this deficiency. Danilo's best chance of making the first XI is to be strong in areas Walker is poor, however – not by replicating the Englishman's weaknesses.

Attacking ability

It has been shown that Danilo's defending is not nearly as bad as his detractors suggest. It is the Brazilian's attacking stats which are more concerning. For a team as dominating as Real Madrid, Danilo should be making more than 0.7 key passes per match, and 0.7 dribbles. The successful teams in the Premier League last season used wingbacks to create width, and if Guardiola intends to grant his fullbacks more responsibility Danilo will need to improve this element of his game.

Ultimately, every transfer at this level is something of a gamble. It is telling that despite winning several trophies at Madrid, Danilo has not increased his transfer value. The 26 year-old will need games to prove himself and settle in Manchester. It remains to be seen if he'll actually get the chance.

Photo by Ailura