How Kevin De Bruyne is lifting Manchester City to new, lofty levels

In Kevin De Bruyne, the Manchester City hierarchy didn't just splurge another £55 million, it brought in a player that has dragged the club from being an also-ran in the Champions League to one that can genuinely compete in the continent's elite tournament.

The midfielder, for the most part floating just behind Sergio Aguero in an advanced role at the Parc des Princes, was pivotal in City claiming a respectable 2-2 draw on Wednesday. His goal - latching onto Fernandinho's pass after some sloppiness in the Paris Saint-Germain midfield - was a vicious lash home, making the most of a fine start from a team that could look very different come August.

Related - VIDEO: City jumps on PSG sloppiness, takes lead through Kevin De Bruyne

Across the City lineup are players that simply don't look fit for incoming manager Pep Guardiola's methods. Fernando's gaffe in Zlatan Ibrahimovic's equaliser was indicative of the lapses in concentration and discipline that have plagued much of Manuel Pellegrini's Mancunian swansong, and Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala continued to look susceptible at the back.

The languid Wilfried Bony, introduced as a late substitute to bumble the ball out of his control with every first touch, is inexplicably still preferred ahead of teenage sensation Kelechi Iheanacho, while the futures of Jesus Navas and Bacary Sagna on the right-hand side hang by a thread.

But with De Bruyne, who was unceremoniously dumped and mocked by his former boss at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho, Guardiola has a ready-made centrepiece of his ambitious era.

Since the 24-year-old's return following a layoff of over two months with knee and ankle issues, the Belgian has scored in two matches at Bournemouth and in the French capital, immediately showing the industry and artistry that City missed. During De Bruyne's spell on the sidelines, the club limped to losses in the bigger occasions - against Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United - and looked short of guile and leadership.

His versatility and work-ethic against PSG chucked water in the face of a team that gave a collective shoulder shrug and skulked off to sleep when he was away. His attitude is of one who is raring to get back to work, and shaming his colleagues who had effectively downed tools to follow suit.

It is a glowing reference for the affect De Bruyne has, that a return to fitness from Vincent Kompany often illicits a similar response.

Without De Bruyne, it's unlikely that City would be in the quarter-finals - the furthest the club has ever reached. In an early group match against Sevilla in October he took a similar, yet more instrumental role to the one he assumed in Paris. David Silva was unavailable with an ankle problem, and in his stead De Bruyne was eventually pushed into a free role in the middle with the scoreline finely poised at 1-1. He worked tirelessly, wreaking havoc on Los Rojiblancos' backline and scoring a late winner. That was a significant factor in Juventus finishing second in Group D, and then being dumped from the Round of 16 by Bayern Munich.

In domestic matters, arguably the top five players in this Premier League season hail from Leicester and Tottenham, but without the injuries that hampered a storming start to life in sky blue, his impact has been similar to that of Dimitri Payet's at West Ham United.

With two away goals in the bag and the second leg staged at the Etihad Stadium, which overall has proven a comfortable setting since Roberto Mancini took the helm in 2009, City's in the driving seat to advance to the semi-final stage.

Winning the whole tournament may be a step too far while the likes of Bony are hanging around, but De Bruyne is not only a highlight of a stuttering campaign, he's the carrier of the torch for many seasons to come.