I don't see him as a pure playmaker, he is an off mid, he is so skill and stylish that looks like floating in the pitch.
On the other hand he can play as playmaker anyway, but hasn't the typical second march of an Aimar, Ronie, and haven't the superb passing ability of an Alex, Roman.
All around his only problem all this years, is a question of perception, he is so classy that many times he looks too much cold, and others he really is, nevertheless he make important golas, assists, and is a player that can manage lots of options, is precisly there where relies his worst aspect for actuall football paradigms, he isn't really a true playmaker, he isn't really a truly central def mid (he was great in a duo with Mascherano), he isn't a super pace carrilero, or Nedved, Kaka off mid, he in many ways is a wonderfull old time 8, with long range shot passing, with great short passing too, with great dribbling, but you can't put a team on his shoulders, at least right now, cause a great aspect is that he is continuing improving.
Is a great player that can become better than you expect if you use him as an old 8, or even as an organizative cental def mid (5), but if he began to play bad, may be you won't have much patience with him, cause he is too damn cold and looks like he doesn't care many times, which btw isn't is just his personality.
He is a typical old times player of "galera y baston", I hope he has a great career in Europe, is a pleasure to watch him play.