Man City, after failing to capture Kaka, have now been linked with a mammoth swoop for Werder Bremen star Diego.

Twenty-three year old Diego has been one of the outstanding performers in the Bundesliga for the past three seasons, spearheading his team into the Champions League and marking himself as a star talent in world football.

In the last two and a half seasons, the Brazilian has recorded 34 goals and and 25 assists in 75 league games, the highest return of any Bundesliga player in that time. This season alone, Diego has scored 8 and assisted on 2 in only 12 games. He has immaculate ball-control, superb vision and an ability to assert his presence on any game.

So what could possibly be risky about a young guy who has recorded more goals and assists than any other player in the recent Bundesliga history, who has the ball control to make 99% of players jealous? More pointedly, why is Diego still playing for Bremen despite showing himself to be the outstanding player in one of the best leagues in the world?

I've watched Diego several times and am always impressed with his ball-control. The problem with him is that he has not yet asserted his stamp on the global stage. In 12 Champions League games for Werder Bremen, Diego has recorded just 2 goals and 2 assists, far from the expected return of a "world-class" talent. He is not physically strong and can be knocked off the ball too easily, while he has a tendency to drift in and out of games.

In the fast-paced and physical EPL, there is a risk that Diego will be unable to assert his authority on games. He will come into the league as a player with enormous upside, a player blessed with the ball control of the select few and who offers the two-edged sword of goals and assists. Yet he will also come into the league as a player who will need to adapt to the speed and technical level of the EPL, an this will take time or fail.

So, is Diego worth the risk?

I say yes if Man City are willing to lose money on him.