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They say that the ability of humans to adapt to new environments and situations holds the key to our success. In this 21st-century rat race of a world, it often comes down to not only how well you adapt to your new surroundings, but also how quickly you do it as well.The human mind is a peculiar thing; what it accepts, it completely absorbs or what it otherwise repels like the same side of magnets. Being in a new country takes more than just living there; one must actually feel the surroundings in order to quickly settle in it. Some do it diligently while others linger in a limbo. It isn’t any different in terms of football.The life of footballers also can be traced along the same trajectory as some are able to cope with the new surroundings, the new system, the heightened expectations and the heightened pressure to perform. Every year, thousands of players switch clubs and try to make a name for themselves. Some instantly adapt, some don’t. This piece will focus on the ones that take to their new clubs like a fish takes to water and here are seven such fishes.
#1 Diego Costa at Chelsea
Despite boasting a fantastic striker like Didier Drogba in their history books, Chelsea is commonly referred to as the club that is the graveyard for forwards. Great players like Andriy Shevchenko, Fernando Torres, Adrian Mutu, Andre Schurrle etc were all disappointing in their endeavors with the club and it is of no wonder why people anticipated the same when Diego Costa was signed by them from Atletico Madrid.
However, he completely shattered those expectancies with his blazing impact with the London club.
With a goal in his debut, he announced his arrival in style. While many discarded it as a fluke, he scored in each of his next three games, with a hattrick at the end to make it 7 goals in his first four competitive games for Chelsea, becoming the fastest player to reach that figure.
Being unfortunate with recurring injuries meant that he couldn’t put his maximum impact, but nevertheless, he ended up with 20 goals in just 26 Premier League games in his first season—a testament to his outstanding start with the Blues.
#2 Sergio Aguero at Manchester City
Both Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero made their impacts in Europe at the same club—and their trajectories have been almost similar ever since.
After being a hit with Atletico Madrid, Diego Costa found a new home in England and bettered his scoring ratio at Chelsea. Similarly, Sergio Aguero became a completely different beast altogether after joining Manchester City.
Before the Brazilian-born Spaniard broke the record of the fastest player to reach 7 Premier League goals, Sergio Aguero was the one who proudly held it after he scored 7 in his first 5 games. He made his debut in a 30-minute cameo appearance against Swansea, in a match which City won 4-0 with the Argentine scoring two of them and assisting once.
The debut provoked some rave reviews with some regarding it as the best debut ever by a player in the Premier League. And he has been as good ever since, with some dips in form mainly due to nagging injuries here and there. In fact, by the end of his first season, he was named as the Manchester City player of the year—and topped it off brilliantly with that miraculous 94th minute winning goal in the last game of the season that won City the Premier League title.
#3 David Silva at Manchester City
Within his first season itself, David Silva was nicknamed ‘Merlin’ by Manchester City aficionados; such was his impact with the club. In Spain, he was regarded as the best non-Real Madrid or non-Barcelona midfielder and according to Carlos Tevez. And Carlos Tevez wasn’t entirely wrong.
He is in fact arguably the greatest signing City has ever made. His playmaking was so sizzling that he earned the player of the month with City for three straight months from October to December in his first season. He continued playing with magnificence all along the season and has continued to do so ever since, helping City win the Premier League title twice and a FA Cup so far in his time at The Etihad.
#4 Douglas Costa at Bayern Munich
When Bayern Munich signed the Brazilian player from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk and touted him as a potential replacement for Arjen Robben, it became the subject of many ridicules. However, after only a couple of months, he was the one who was laughing.
With a ground-breaking start at Bayern, the same people who were unsure about him were now confused about how he didn’t burst into the scene earlier.
His start was so good that Bayern were winning and scoring in matches for fun and he was the main man behind those victories. His form might have dried up of late, but his stats remain commendable. With 13 assists and 7 goals in just 37 starts, he has made himself a force to be reckoned with, and it is just his first season with the Bavarians.
#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Paris Saint-Germain
Two things have always followed Zlatan Ibrahimovic regardless of where he went: goals and controversies. The explosive Swede has carved out a career that sees him cement his place as one of the greatest exponents of the game. The only thing that he doesn’t possess is a Champions League winners medal, but there is still time for one.
Ibrahimovic has played in five countries and adapted to each of them like a slice of cheese over bread, but it was in France where he made his best start while playing for a new club.
Everyone knew that the French Ligue 1 would be too easy for him and he hasn’t disappointed. France was a piece of cake for him and 6 goals in his first 5 games with the club further cemented the fact. He ended the first season with 35 goals in just 46 games and is getting even better with age—like wine.
#6 Juan Mata at Chelsea
He might be plying his trade at Manchester United now, but make no mistake here; he is one of the most iconic players in Chelsea’s history. And still the darling of many Blues fans.
One of the things about Chelsea fans are that they are known for their fierce love for Jose Mourinho, so when the same fans sounded discontentment towards the Portuguese for his treatment and eventual sale of the Spaniard, it showed the influence the former Valencia man had at the Stamford Bridge.
And this impact on the fans was instantaneous. Like David Silva the season before, Juan Mata become another La Liga import that brought magic to the Premier League. In his first season with the club, he ended up with 20 assists and 12 goals in 54 games, while playing the most key role in Chelsea’s Champions League glory that season.
#7 Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid
This is a no-brainer, really. Even if Ronaldo might not be the player he once was, he still remains as one of the top 5 players in the world at the moment. He might not be someone who can breezes past defenders with ease but is still one of the best players in the box.
One could almost feel his thinking of spending more time in the box in a match rather than hustling around the pitch to dribble and score in an attempt to be more injury-free after his initial ankle problems post arrival.
And it worked. What happened since then has carved its way to the history books. Right now, he is Real Madrid’s all-time top goal scorer and it all began with that change in style of play. In his first season, he scored 33 goals in just 35 games—and this being his worst goals-per-game ratio in a season with Real Madrid just goes to show the kind of beast that he is.
