Where other clubs have been picking up new players right and left since the 2014 2015 football season drew to a close, FC Bayern Munich have had a relatively quiet summer transfer window so far. They've brought in goalkeeper Sven Ulreich from VfB Stuttgart (though he will undoubtedly play second fiddle to the great Manuel Neuer), and they've added midfielder Joshua Kimmich (also from Stuttgart), but for the most part, the Bavarians have been reserved with their summer signings and transfers so far. That could all change in the coming weeks, with rumors swirling that the club might offer Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben to Manchester United in exchange for Angel di Maria. For now, the announcement that Bayern Munich sign Douglas Costa, an attacking midfielder, is Bayern Munich's biggest signing of the summer.

Douglas Costa-not to be confused with Chelsea FC's Diego Costa-comes to Bayern Munich following a five-and-a-half-year stint with Ukrainian club, Shakhtar Donetsk. The Bavarians paid a reported €30 million to bring Costa to Allianz Arena-making the 24-year-old Brazilian the fourth most expensive signing in the history of the football club. (Javi Martinez, Mario Gotze, and Mehdi Benatia are the top three.) Needless to say, the German soccer champions have high hopes for Costa.

Arjen Robben's Replacement?

As with any signing, fans and soccer analysts have been quick to speculate about what kind of role
Douglas Costa will play once he pulls on the Bayern Munich home shirt 2015 2016 for the upcoming season. He's signed a five-year contract, so manager Pep Guardiola clearly has some big plans for him.

The consensus so far seems to be that Douglas is meant as a replacement of sorts for Arjen Robben. As a winger, Robben has been a key cog in the machine for the Bavarians since coming aboard at Allianz in 2009. He's scored 108 goals in 196 overall appearances at Bayern, including the winning goal of the 2013 Champions League. He's also third in terms of all-time assists for the football club, behind Franck Ribery and Thomas Muller.

But Robben is aging. He turned 31 in January and has worked through a few injuries recently. And while Arjen still has two years left on his contract, it's unclear whether or not he will actually play both of them at Bayern Munich. If the rumors are true and Robben is headed to Manchester United, then it's tough not to see Costa as his replacement.

Costa's Career

Like Robben, Costa is a skilled dribbler who can score goals with left-footed kicks from the right wing. He doesn't have quite the offensive skills of the Dutchman just yet, though. In his five and a half years with Shakhtar Donetsk, Douglas made 203 appearances across league, cup, and continental soccer play, netting 38 goals along the way.

At Shakhtar, Costa was never the football club's leading goalscorer, relying instead upon the likes of Luis Adriano, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Alex Teixeria to lead the team offensively. With that said, Costa did play a key role in the five consecutive Ukrainian Premier League titles that Shaktar Donetsk won between 2010 and 2014. He's arguably a stronger defensive player than Robben, with more tackles and interceptions than Bayern's star Dutchman. As a result, he could make a good substitute if Arjen is sent to Man United this summer.

Is He Worth It?

Still, some are questioning whether or not Douglas Costa's career statistics so far justify the hefty sign on sum that Bayern Munich are paying to bring him to Germany. In 141 league appearances with Shakhtar Donetsk, Douglas scored 29 goals and tallied 30 assists. Those numbers aren't bad, but for five and a half years of play, they aren't €30 million-level good either.

What do you think about the arrival of Douglas Costa in the Bundesliga? Do you think he will grow into a star after donning the Bayern Munich football shirt, or do you think his goal and assist stats will drop in 2015 2016 thanks to the extra pressures of the Bundesliga? Let us know by connecting with us on social media! Soccer Box is active on various online social channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.