Why Hamit Altintop? More than a few Real Madrid fans have raised eyebrows over the latest reinforcement to arrive in the Spanish capital. For a club more used to landing big-name players with transfer fees to match, the signing of a free transfer fast passing his best years is something of a change of pace.

But scratch below the surface and we find much more than an ageing fringe player. Instead we find a talent of sufficient versatility and spirit to count among the key members of Jose Mourinho's 25-man squad.

This is certainly true on the pitch. Goal.com International Germany editor Clark Whitney, a long-time admirer of Hamit's abilities, notes of the Turkish international: "Altintop brings to the Bernabeu a wealth of experience and the simple skills required to close out close games. He rarely tries to do too much, and instead is a master of the basics of possession football."

There is no doubting that: Altintop is a responsible player who can both cover and attack - regularly switching between both in the one game. For a coach like Mourinho, who is fairly conservative in outlook while also prizing flexibility, Altintop is a great option to have.

Indeed, flexibility - or more accurately versatility - is Hamit's key attribute. According to Maximilian Bensinger, Bayern Munich correspondent: "Naturally he is a really great player, with a world-class shooting technique and a superb engine. As an all-rounder he's played central midfield for Turkey and in the 2010 Champions League semi-final against Lyon.

"But it's just as common to see him on the right of midfield, where he takes on a defensive role to allow Phillip Lahm to get forward. And above all, he excels in defensive midfield, where his range of passing and secure style of play come to the fore."

Thus those who state that Hamit has no starting berth to call his own are right, but missing the point. Of course he doesn't: Real Madrid have plenty of options for each position. But in Altintop they add to their ranks a player who can fit in virtually everywhere and do the basic things without difficulty.

Altintop was always a great cover player at Bayern. For Real Madrid, they've landed a cheap utility player and thus Bayern's loss is their gain. For Hamit himself, how can he win? He seems to be his agent's plaything here. He wanted more pitch time - at Madrid he'll most likely get less. As for his relationship with Mourinho, that remains to be seen.	Hamit was part of Bayern's machine. If Schweini, Ribery or Robben were out he'd deputise with ease. No key player, sure, but an important one who will be missed. Hamit himself wins here by joining a team everyone wants to play for, and Jose Mourinho benefits too because he has a very versatile player on his hands - a special one for the Special One.	Bayern are losing an experienced international, but Altintop was never part of Jupp Heynckes' new plans anyway. Nor is he the solution for all of Real Madrid's problems. He is, though, effective, experienced, and at a low cost. In any case the real winner is the player himself as he teams up with one of the most ambitious football projects of all time.

Any observer of top-level Spanish football knows by now that personality can sometimes be just as important as ability. Thankfully for Madrid, their latest signing passes that particular test. Hamit is an extremely popular figure among the public in Turkey, but increasingly he's become a point of reference among his fellow national team players, too.

Turkish editor Sertac Kucukelci argues: "In the past Hamit was never really thought of as a leader. But since Guus Hiddink took over as Turkey coach last August he's really grown into a leadership role. People look up to him now." For Real Madrid the boon there is clear: amidst all the dramas and soap operas of the last season, having an old head to keep the team grounded is invaluable.

Amidst all the benefits, though, there are one or two potential pitfalls. Hamit is known to be a quiet, professional, driven personality at club level, but he's also a man who will fight his corner when he feels the need.

"Hamit didn't feel supported at Bayern. He felt unsupported and said Van Gaal ignored him, so that's why he left instead of talking about a new contract," explains Maximilian. He further notes that Altintop's move must be related to his agent - Reza Fazeli, who also represents Nuri Sahin and Mesut Ozil - and that the player's position in the team may be less clear-cut than first thought.

This danger can't be underestimated. It's worth remembering that Pedro Leon arrived at the Bernabeu with high hopes and a considerable price tag: one public disagreement with Mourinho later and he's a forgotten man. If the Portuguese can cast aside a young and expensive signing without a second thought, he's hardly likely to extend the benefit of the doubt to a free transfer.

But surely it won't come to that, not this time. Hamit's talent and commitment are not open to question, and unlike other fringe players at the White House he brings with him an unmatchable flexibility. He won't play every week - maybe not even every fortnight. But when called upon he can deliver, and when the stakes are as high as they are in Madrid that's something worth celebrating{jcomments on}.