Borussia Dortmund are "delighted" with Mario Gotze's first three months at the club after re-signing him from Bayern Munich this summer, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said.
Gotze, 24, has only featured in three league games and one Champions League match, and is yet to complete the full 90 minutes since returning but Watzke is happy with his progress.
"Mario shows more every week," he told kicker. "We are delighted with his development."
Gotze's playing time has been restricted while Dortmund work on his fitness and Watzke added: "I have the impression that he's significantly sharper now."
In his 282 minutes on the pitch for Dortmund, Gotze has so far recorded one goal, but is yet to record an assist.
In his first couple of games the attacker, who completed both World Cup qualifiers for Germany during the international break, managed just 48 touches of the ball contacts per 90 minutes. Only attackers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adrian Ramos have a lower average.