He reminds me at times of Xavi Hernandez. Not so much the passing range, but his ability to receive the ball and turn in a single fluid motion, then progressing the ball through a dribble or a pass. And also how he uses his body to shield the ball from the opposition. He hasn't been dispossessed by an opponent since the Bologna game.
Basically, once a team-mate finds him with a pass, it's hard for the opposition to take the ball off him, they just have to hope he mis-places his pass or makes the wrong run.