The Belgian is likely to slot in on the right of an attacking trident - even at the expense of Jesus Navas' defensive cover - but there are some obstacles to overcome

ANALYSIS By Sam Lee

Given his quality and versatility, Kevin De Bruyne 's long-awaited move to the Etihad Stadium should see him slot comfortably into the right-hand side of Manchester City's attacking trio, working tirelessly to create openings for Sergio Aguero ahead of him.But the more pertinent question, perhaps, is how he will fit in at Manchester City. The Belgium international is an excellent footballer, of that there is no doubt. The second most expensive player in British football history will be expected to hit the ground running, though, and there are obstacles to negotiate.His most effective performances for Wolfsburg have come from the left or centre of a similar trident to City's, cutting in onto his wondrous right foot and sliding passes through for team-mates. While capable of playing from the right - dislodging Jesus Navas - it would not be his first pick.The flip side to having established himself as the main man at Wolfsburg is that he has been afforded the total freedom and creative license that comes with being a talisman - and which was denied him at Chelsea, and is bestowed on others at his new club.It is a situation best summed up in recent weeks by Naldo: "The team has great confidence in him. This is also an important point for Kevin. He can do practically whatever he wants with us on the field. He has all the freedom. I do not know if he will get that if he goes anywhere else."He certainly didn't have it under Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, but of course Manuel Pellegrini is a very different manager with very different demands: De Bruyne's primary responsibility will be to attack.Whereas Mourinho prizes defensive contribution and tactical acumen, Pellegrini will allow De Bruyne far more freedom, and he's certainly earned it during the last 18 months in the Bundesliga.But still he will not be the main man at the Etihad Stadium. Even apart from Aguero, the best striker in the league, De Bruyne will find David Silva slap bang in the thick of the action, getting the ball, passing it on, getting it back again and generally directing traffic towards the opposition's goal.The Spaniard's had the most touches of any City player so far this season, in fact he's had the most touches of any player in the Premier League. Yaya Toure ranks seventh in that list, so De Bruyne will certainly be picked out by his team-mates but he cannot expect to provoke situations with the same regularity as he has done with Wolfsburg.There may be another option, however. Although he has spent the majority of his professional career in advanced positions, senior City officials have long discussed the idea of playing him in a deeper midfield role.It is also something De Bruyne acknowledged last year, although he himself prefers to play further forward: "The eternal debate about my best position has been going for the six years I’ve been a pro. I can play in five different positions and I think that's an advantage: the four attacking positions and even deep-lying playmaker."From afar, City have spotted that potential and believe his technical ability would allow him to run games from a deep position; he has even been referred to behind the scenes as "the next Steven Gerrard". It certainly seems a bit of a stretch, especially given the young Gerrard's tenacity and willingness to put his foot in, but, those comparisons aside, a place next to Fernandinho in certain games would provide an alternative dimension to City's well-balanced unit.It would also provide an alternative to Toure, who, despite starting the season better than many had expected, will still need to be rotated throughout the campaign to keep him fresh and at his best.With Pellegrini having discovered balance in his selection using a 4-2-3-1 setup since the derby defeat to United in April, and with Raheem Sterling and Navas providing extra cover for their full-backs so far this season, De Bruyne will be coming into a functioning, competitive environment.Mourinho has given his views on the 24-year-old on several occasions this summer, flitting between the complimentary and the damning (often in the same sentence), and he too highlighted the issue of competition: "I wanted to keep him. And he told me it was not in his personality to be competing for a position in the team. He needed a team where he knows he can play every game. He needs to know that he is important."He will be important at the Etihad, though. In terms of strengthening their attack, it's taken City four years to surpass the £38m they spent on Aguero in 2011; to have done so twice in one summer on Sterling and De Bruyne is a statement of intent to the Premier League.It is also a statement to De Bruyne. His efforts - 15 goals and 25 assists during his 18 months at the Volkswagen Arena - have not gone unnoticed, and Pellegrini and Txiki Begiristain, under scrutiny following one or two transfer mis-steps, have sufficient faith to break the £50m barrier to sign him.After months of negotiations, City have finally stumped up the cash to give De Bruyne a second shot at the Premier League big time. He's got the talent, but will it be enough to seize the opportunity?