Wolfsburg - To a wealth of attacking talent that includes midfield prodigy Maximilian Arnold, wing wizard Ivan Perisic and man of the moment Kevin De Bruyne, Wolfsburg have now added Germany international and 2014 FIFA World Cup winner Andre Schürrle.

The deadline day capture of a player that has experience of the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League and the Bundesliga, as well as 17 goals in 45 appearances for Germany, is yet another signal of intent from the Wolves as the league's emerging second power behind leaders FC Bayern München.

Quite apart from their crushing 4-1 win over the Bavarians on Matchday 18, Schürrle's arrival adds immeasurably to the club's potential and reputation as a rising influence in German and European football, but how and where will the 24-year-old figure for Dieter Hecking's Wolves? bundesliga.com analyses where in attack the former 1. FSV Mainz and Bayer 04 Leverkusen man could find himself among the Wolfpack's starting XI...

On the right

Despite being a pacy, right-footed player, Schürrle is somewhat limited when deployed on the right side of the attack. He filled the role occasionally for Chelsea, but his strength is finding space in the centre of the pitch and testing the goalkeeper. In his second and final season at Leverkusen, he had more shots at goal - 126 - than any other Bundesliga player.

Team-mates Kevin De Bruyne (11 assists in 2014/15), Ivan Perisic and Vieirinha are altogether more adept at hugging the touchline and creating scoring opportunities from wide positions, and with De Bruyne in particular in such sensational form, there appears little need to play Schürrle here. Additionally, he has only assisted five goals from wide positions from the 160 crosses he put in for Mainz and Bayer 04.

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Behind the striker

A regular goalscorer in his career, playing as a central attacking midfielder would allow him to move into the 'prolific' bracket. His statistics of 38 goals - compared to 21 assists - in 141 Bundesliga appearances suggest that he is far more of a finisher than a creator of goals, thanks to his accurate and powerful shooting.

However, Schürrle is an explosive and direct player that requires space in which to burst, and not a player to orchestrate attacks and dictate the flow or tempo of a game. With that in mind, De Bruyne or Maximilian Arnold would probably be a better bet for the No10 role.

The agony of choice

The statistics point firmly to the conclusion that Schürrle is, despite that for Mario Götze in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, a finisher first and foremost and not a creator. Playing on the right or as a no 10 would not allow him to make the maximum use of his talents, as well as depriving other players the opportunities to make the most of theirs.

What seems certain is that even in this highly competitive squad he will play regularly - seeing him on the bench would be surprising given his reputation and profile - but the likelihood is that Wolfsburg will now be flexible enough to accommodate him in various areas of the pitch. With so much speed and creativity in the squad, the signs are promising that Hecking can get the best of Schürrle, just as they are that the man himself, who has never spent more than two seasons at any club since turning professional, is set for a long and successful spell in Lower Saxony.

Bernie Reeves