Julian Carranza must adjust to rugged centre-backs and inconsistent officiating to become the clinical striker Leicester City believe he can be.
Carranza made his first appearance against Coventry last weekend and will aim to feature again when City visit West Brom on Friday night (8pm kick-off).
While City’s other two deadline-day additions, Jordan James and Aaron Ramsey, are well-versed in the Championship, it’s a fresh challenge for Argentine Carranza, who’d only enjoyed one campaign in Europe before his temporary move to the King Power Stadium.
It means there’s plenty that feels unfamiliar for the 25-year-old, not least the sheer strength of opposing defenders and what officials allow them to get away with, with referees generally more tolerant in England than elsewhere.
It suggests patience may be needed for City to witness the best of Carranza, though there isn’t time for too much leeway, with the Feyenoord loanee currently only at the club for a single season.
“He’s doing well in training,” manager Marti Cifuentes said of the striker. “I think it was not the easiest pre-season for him, and arriving here on the last day of the window is an extra challenge because the competition is already there and he arrives into a team that is more or less set.
“But he has done really well to adapt. The international break was important for him to get along with his team-mates. The fact his English is excellent helps him with adapting and getting into the team.
“My experience is that the Championship is a bit ruthless, especially with players coming from abroad, and especially for strikers or attacking players because of the refereeing and the tempo. Everything is perhaps different than other leagues.
“The centre-halves in the Championship are usually dominant in the air, they’re big guys, so it’s about how to handle this kind of physicality. The refereeing is different to other parts of Europe and other parts of the world.
“There’s the tempo of the game, but also the frequency of games during the season. Because of this, and because of the tempo, it’s very demanding, so it’s tough. You have to recover in just three days because then there’s another game.
“So it’s not just about him having a brilliant first two months, but finishing the season in a strong way.
“I’m happy with the minutes he played in the last game, showing he can be an asset for the team. I’m sure he will be important.
“He needs to keep pushing because there will be opportunities for him and for the team to understand his skills.”
For now, Jordan Ayew remains the frontrunner to continue leading the line. The Ghanaian has one goal to his name so far this season. City’s leading scorers in the Championship after six matches are Abdul Fatawu and Ricardo Pereira with two apiece.