Will he soon make captain Emre Can redundant? A new powerhouse is exciting Borussia Dortmund

Joane Gadou joined Borussia Dortmund from Salzburg and has so far made an outstanding impression. The 19-year-old centre-back is starting with a regular place in the BVB side and is facing his first real test.

"The idea is that he can help us immediately," said Ole Book last May. Borussia Dortmund had just forked out around €20 million for Joane Gadou, no small fee for a 19-year-old centre-back with 59 professional appearances in Austria.

Three months on, they know a lot more. Gadou was there from the start of pre-season and featured in all six friendlies as the right-sided centre-back in the back three. He has already played more than 90 minutes twice and more than 80 once.

Much of what he has shown has been impressive. Above all, Gadou's athleticism and robustness stand out. Even at his age, the Frenchman is a serious physical presence. Put bluntly, it can feel as if Gadou is not really defending at all, just standing in his opponents' way and letting them bounce off him.

Joane Gadou impressed in defending and build-up play

On top of that, he clocks around 34 kilometres per hour, a very respectable speed and one Dortmund do not have enough of elsewhere. Gadou won several running duels in the friendlies. Combined with his physicality, that made him very difficult to beat in the core business of defending.

On the ball, Gadou has already shown just how much potential there is to develop. He has stepped out skilfully on several occasions, stayed calm under pressure and looked to play flat passes out from the back to find team-mates between the lines.

That verticality in Gadou's build-up play is already well known from his former club Red Bull Salzburg. There, the eight-time U19 international posted a pass completion rate of almost 90 per cent and usually played more than 50 passes per match. Dortmund want to play the same way, so similar numbers can be expected from him there.

Joane Gadou starts with a regular place at Dortmund

Still, that has already shown up in a Dortmund shirt too: Gadou sometimes wants too much with his passing. At times, the simpler option would be better than taking the bigger risk into the next third and losing the ball. He still has to find a better balance there. For Borussia, though, that is also good news, because under coach Niko Kovac they have too often looked uninspired when playing out from the back. In Gadou, they have a defender who tries things from deep and has line-breaking passes in his repertoire.

That mix of raw power, speed and passing naturally sparks thoughts of more. His route into the starting line-up is also being eased right now, with Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can both still out injured for the long term. Can in particular could struggle for sustained game time after his return from a cruciate ligament tear in the autumn.

For now, the back three picks itself: Ramy Bensebaini on the left, Waldemar Anton in the middle, Gadou on the right. When Schlotterbeck returns, the ideal scenario would actually be for him to take Bensebaini's place so he can fully bring his build-up qualities into the game from that side with his strong left foot.

Super Cup against Bayern will be Joane Gadou's first real test

Right now, plenty points to a promising few months for Gadou. If he keeps producing these performances, the youngster, who has gone a little under the radar because of Dortmund's other high-profile signings, could quickly become an important part of the side.

Saturday now brings his first genuine test. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich travel to Dortmund in the Franz Beckenbauer Super Cup. Gadou will in all likelihood come up against Luis Diaz more often there, while Harry Kane should also get enough minutes to cross his path from time to time.

That direct duel on the right should show how quickly Gadou's positional play reaches its limits against stronger opponents. He has already had a few moments when he was pulled out too quickly and rather wildly abandoned his position. Even with his speed, he was then unable to shut down the space that opened up behind him.

Joane Gadou at Dortmund: "He can use the time with games as well"

Back in May, sporting director Book struck a calming note: "He is of course a 19-year-old player who is coming to a new league and to a somewhat bigger club again," reminding everyone that Gadou had begun an adaptation process that would undoubtedly be shaped by highs and lows.

Now the door is open for him. Every good performance makes him harder to leave out. His start has been excellent so far. Book has already rejected the idea that Dortmund see him purely as a challenger who simply needs patience: "Of course we are also giving him the necessary time. But already with the thought process that he can also use the time with games."

Joane Gadou: His career so far at a glance