Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson admits Vedran Corluka's long-term position could be at centre-half.
"He is a good defender, but Vedran is also a good footballer," he said. "He doesn't just win the ball and knock it away. He sees things early, has good vision and passes the ball well. When you talk about central defenders those attributes make him special.
"The ideal is to have two tough tacklers and headers of the ball who can also play football when they have it at their feet.
"Vedran is not an aggressive type defender but elegant. Despite his age he knows how to solve problems and reads the game so well. I don't like to see us just hitting balls up to the strikers. One and two touch football, accurate passing, and keeping possession are all things we work on constantly.
"In Vedran's case he realises that playing in the Premier League means that he has to be a little more aggressive simply because of the speed and tempo that the game is played. It comes automatically and Vedran is a big, strong boy.
"Of course he cannot be perfect - he is only 21 and is in his first season in the Premier League - but I am glad we have signed him because he will get better and better.
"Sometimes you look from the touchline and think is he quick or is he not quick because he does only as much as he needs to do to sort out the situation and nothing more.
"He is another young player who will be a big part of the side as it grows together. I know that he can also play in a holding midfield role and he tells me that in emergencies Zagreb used to play him up front."