This is very similar to the Fazio affair, people question their pace but the whole idea of the signing is that we play so deep that pace is not an issue and defending whats in front of you, reading the game, tackling and heading is the reason for the signing. If we played a high line then no this is not the right signing but as we play very deep he will be perfect imo.
I agree re the profile of the defender, Fazio would have suited us. I also echo what others have said about dipping into a different market to search for some value and furthermore he is at a good age as an individual but more importantly for our squad too.
My cousin is a football agent and I asked his analyst what his thoughts were on him; he described him as average and thought it would be too much of a step up and was surprised on the data he had available that we went for him. He did temper it by saying that he has had good games and that the injures did clearly effect him for some time.
Overall, I am pleased with the move though. I trust the club and applaud that we are trying to find value in other markets. We have a good core of Premier League experience so feel there is scope for us to do this more often. The structure of the deal is also smart from our point of view.