Pedro Lima's Norwich City spell is going as he expected - even if he is yet to make a senior matchday squad for the Canaries since joining on loan from Palmeiras.
His move to Carrow Road from Brazil raised eyebrows in both countries when it was confirmed during the summer - with Lima linking up with Alan Neilson's U21 squad after Norwich fought off heavy competition to sign him on a season-long loan.
Palmeiras were unwilling to let Lima move with an option to buy after their supporters reacted badly to a deal being in place with Portuguese second-division side Academico de Viseu, with the backlash forcing them to pull out.
Norwich are hopeful that if Lima makes a success of his spell in England they could leapfrog the queue and sign him permanently next summer - but right now, it's all about his development and adapting to life in a new environment.
Despite the confusion over the structure and even purpose of the deal, Lima feels it is progressing as he expected when he agreed to move to Norfolk and is training regularly with David Wagner's first team.
"I knew it would initially be for the under-21s, but what caught my attention the most, obviously, we who are young really want to play professionally," Lima told TNT Sports in Brazil.
"I had several professional clubs interested, even though I was under-21, it caught my attention because everyone knows that football here is very intense, very fast. Athleticism is also very important and this would be very important for me to evolve through.
"The move takes into account my characteristics, as I am a more technical player, who plays more with the ball. Thinking about my career, I'm 20 years old, still young, and this phase could be important for the future of my career.
"But I already knew that the start would be with the under-21s, in Premier League 2. According to my performance, I'm entering my third month; there will be an opportunity. I'm training with the first team too."
Lima, who turns 21 in March, has already made his professional debut for Palmeiras - featuring in the Copa Libertadores in April.
He is regarded as one of their most exciting young prospects at the 11-time Brazilian champions but felt he needed to move away in order to add other aspects to his game.
"This decision to leave Palmeiras was difficult. I had been there since I was 12 years old, but I was in my last under-20 year and I had achieved everything. I needed to change and take a new step in my career.
"When the chance arose to come to Europe, to England specifically, as I grew up watching football here, I always wanted to play here, even on loan, so it's cool.
"My contract ended in 2024, so I was in the mood for renewal and Palmeiras always made it clear that they wanted to renew with me," he said.
"I wanted to know where I stood, as they always had a lot of confidence in my work. But at the moment, there was no space to let me evolve as they would like. We sat down with the board, with Abel (Ferriera, Palmeiras manager), and we saw that the best loan would be for me.
"We reached a consensus, it was super peaceful. Then we started looking at the clubs, Norwich appeared, who had been monitoring me for a while and agreed to do this loan without a purchase option, which clubs don't always like to do.
"It's not advantageous for them, but Norwich accepted it. I renewed my contract, I'm happy here and I feel like I'm evolving. Everything worked."
Lima has made five appearances for City's U21 side and netted his first goal in Premier League Two in a 4-3 defeat against Tottenham earlier this month. Those inside the club are impressed with his contribution so far but remain cautious over the next step.
Despite a reduced match cycle and a lack of emphasis on outcomes compared to the pressures of Brazil, Lima is enjoying his experience outside of his home country.
"Here the Premier League 2 calendar is a little shorter. Brazil has a CBF Championship, a state championship, so here we play less.
"Training load is harder, we are also in the gym more," the midfielder said. "There is a big difference. They also place less importance on the outcome. In Brazil, because we are Palmeiras, we are always used to winning games, there are many classics and we end up thinking more about victory.
"Here we are always encouraged to play under pressure, to go out and play, and the fields are very good, so that helps."
At Norwich, Lima finds real inspiration in compatriot Gabriel Sara - who has made the transition from Brazil to England look seamless and is earning rave reviews despite their struggles in the Championship.
Lima is trying to extract every bit of learning from Sara - and believes training alongside the City start is aiding his progress.
"The one who is closest today is Gabriel Sara. He's been performing very well in the Championship, it's his second season here," Lima said.
"So, training on a daily basis and watching the games, he is a guy that I have looked up to a lot. He has played this role further back, because in São Paulo he played closer to the area, here he is more box to box, so I am mirroring him a lot.
"Apart from Rodri, from Manchester City, who I've always been a big fan of. Busquets also who is now at Inter Miami. I also saw a similarity with Fabián Ruiz because he was left-handed and taller. Now that Real Sociedad is playing a lot of ball, so are Merino. They are players who physically and technically resemble me."
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