Fernandinho – A key signing for Manchester City?

Stepping in at Manchester City

With years of UEFA Champions League experience (knockout stages included) and also having won six Ukrainian Premier League titles, four Ukrainian Cups, three Ukrainian Super Cups and one UEFA Cup, Fernandinho will most definitely add to the “winning mentality” at the Etihad Stadium.

Fernandinho will bring athleticism, dynamism and more quality in the more attacking midfield areas than any of his aforementioned direct competitors – Gareth Barry, Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia.

Able to transition quickly from defence to attack, be it through running with the ball or executing an accurate pass, Fernandinho gives City a greater ability to play on the counter-attack. This will be crucial in Europe, where City have failed to meet expectations.

At Shakhtar, Fernandinho was used as a box-to-box midfielder who played his part in a double pivot providing a defensive screen in front of the defence. He joined the attacking play from deep, providing key bursts of creative inspiration and movement with his football intelligence and decision-making ability ensuring that he made the right type of run, to the right area of the pitch and at the right time.

With forward runs from deep, timing and decision-making are crucial tools. Fernandinho most definitely has both those attributes. While the Brazilian is not known for his passing ability, he is more than capable of successfully executing an incisive forward pass when given the chance.

Defensively, Fernandinho and his previous midfield partner Tomáš Hübschman were key to Shakhtar’s menacing defensive record, especially at home in the Donbass Arena. With such strong foundations for coach Mircea Lucescu and Shakhtar’s attackers – Willian (replaced by Taison in January 2013), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (now at Borussia Dortmund), Alex Teixeira and Luiz Adriano – to build on, it is no wonder that the Ukrainian giants have hugely impressed in the UEFA Champions League with their tactical solidity in defence and eye-catching creative play going forward.

One of Fernandinho’s biggest strengths is his versatility from a tactical standpoint, perhaps not positionally but rather in terms of the types of duties that Pellegrini can ask of him.

The Brazilian can play as a box-to-box midfielder, taking turns with Ivorian powerhouse Toure Yaya to bomb forward and join City’s star-studded attack. He can also be used as a more specialised defensive midfielder, which City have lacked since the sale of Dutch destroyer Nigel de Jong to AC Milan.

Furthermore, Fernandinho can play as a ball manipulator tasked with keeping the ball moving and hence aiding his team’s dominance of possession – Think Sergio Busquets, but of a more box-to-box variety. While Barry, Garcia and Rodwell each provide 1 of those 3 tactical options, Fernandinho can not only do all 3, but do them with great quality to boot.

Fernandinho gives Pellegrini the option of tweaking or altering the team’s tactical approach in midfield without the need to make any substitutions.

Brazil return on the horizon?

Fernandinho set for a return to Brazil next year? Don’t bet against it. With his move to a “more visible” league and club, he now has everything needed to get a phone call sometime next year from Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The £34 million that Manchester City paid Shakhtar Donetsk may seem an overpriced fee to some, but if Fernandinho plays as well as I know he can, he’d have been worth every penny.