Shinji Kagawa: United's New Playmaker, Moneymaker, Or Both?

Overview
With Borussia Dortmund agreeing a £12m transfer of its superstar Shinji Kagawa to Manchester United, FPLZ analyzes the Japanese's impact to the both the fantasy and reality football world.

Dribbling
Similar to other players of Asian descent, Kagawa is 1.72 m tall and has a rather slim body build compared to players of other continents. However, this is well compensated by his superior dribbling skills, which at times are comparable to Barca's Lionel Messi. Combined with his footballing intelligence, the Dortmund's star is unplayable at times thanks to his exceptional first touch and ball control.

Positioning
Kagawa enjoys the freeman role, hovering a big area on the pitch. Attacking midfielder would be the best position to execute such a role, as it will unleash his great positioning talent - to appear at the right place at right time and deliver lethal balls to kill off his opponents.

Passing
Creativity is indeed the main reason United signed him. Kagawa's vision is one of the best in the world, as shown in his superb partnership with Poland's goal poacher Robert Lewandowski. One two pass is perhaps Kagawa's greatest asset - his ability to find space for his teammates is simply astonishing. However, as Manchester United practises a more dynamic approach in passing, it remains to be seen whether Kagawa can deliver long passes accurately and consistently.

Finishing
This is what that makes the playmaker a very lethal player compared to his Asian counterpart in United, Ji-Sung Park. Kagawa is able to finish equally well with both feet, and is very confident with powerful volleys. A total of 17 goals at Dortmund last season suggests that he will contribute a good portion of United's goals next season in the club's attempt to become the leader in Manchester and England again.

Marketability
For me I think the initial fee of £12m for Kagawa is a steal - his football ability alone would worth at least this amount of money already. Kagawa's arrival would definitely deepen United's pockets with further attraction of Asian market especially Japan. At least the jersey sales are not expect to experience a sharp decline when Park leaves the club in the next few years.

Verdict
Aged only 23, Kagawa has a bright future with Manchester United as his purchase solves United's biggest weakness for years - the lack of a world class central playmaker. The youngster shall link the front and the back, the left and the right effectively to take United's attack to new heights ever since Roy Keane's era. A £9.0m fantasy valuation, or more, is what you shall expect for a player of his pedigree.

Click here for a comprehensive scouting report of Shinji Kagawa by RangeRooney.