3 weeks ago
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Premier League interest
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Endrick arrived at Real Madrid amid huge expectations from his reputation in Brazil as one of their greatest talents in decades. Los Blancos invested €47.5 million to secure the signature of the attacker in December 2022 with Endrick officially moving to the Spanish capital in July 2024 after he turned 18. Unsurprisingly, Endrick was predictably compared to Ronaldo and Pelé as hype reached fever pitch as he emerged at Palmeiras.
The diminutive striker became the fourth youngest player in history to represent the Seleção when he debuted against Colombia in 2023 and he quickly made an impact on the international scene with goals away to England and Spain. Endrick, however, wasn’t included in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for Brazil’s upcoming internationals due to his predicament at Real Madrid. Endrick has struggled for game time since moving to Madrid and he’s not played a single minute this season under Xabi Alonso with a major decision on his future on the horizon in January.
Endrick’s struggles at Real Madrid
Since joining Madrid, Endrick has only started eight games and he’s effectively been limited to an impact role as a substitute. The Brazilian made 37 appearances for Madrid in his debut campaign but only totalled 847 minutes, which equates to less than ten full games. Endrick did score seven goals across those minutes, which represents a decent return but he’s not featured at all this season. A hamstring injury ruled him out of the Club World Cup and the first five games of this campaign but he returned to fitness almost one month ago but he’s been an unused substitute in Madrid’s last five games.
Ahead of their last fixture against Villareal, Alonso suggested that Endrick could soon challenge to become a starter but that appears unrealistic and the Madrid boss left him on the bench during the 3-1 win. “He has a chance to be a starter [in the near future].” Alonso said. “He’s coming off a slightly longer injury, but he’s been training well for a few weeks now and it’s just a matter of finding the right context in the game for him to come on. He has a goal-scoring instinct. A brutal finish. There’s just a lot of competition. But his time will come.”
What next for Endrick
Endrick’s career at Real Madrid will inevitably reach a crossroads in January and he faces a critical decision. The 19-year-old will be determined to regain his place in the Brazil squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup but his dreams won’t materialise, if he’s consigned to a bench role at Madrid. His potential availability in the January window will alert various top European clubs and Madrid legend Guti has urged him to find a club, where he will play regularly. He stated: "If he doesn’t get any opportunities between now and December, I think his best option is to leave so he can continue to grow. For a young player, the best thing is to get playing time."
West Ham are the latest club to be linked with Endrick, with some reports suggesting the Hammers are leading the race to complete a loan deal. Real Sociedad and Valencia wanted to loan him in the summer and could revive their interest, despite being turned down previously. Ivan Fuenta, LaLiga expert at Transfermarkt, now expects Endrick to depart on-loan in January “Endrick’s barely played for Madrid since joining and that’s unlikely to change soon,” said Fuente. “Gonzalo Garcia is even ahead of him in the pecking order and has taken his minutes this season. He didn’t want to leave the club on-loan in the summer but his stance could change in January. He reportedly had an opportunity to join Real Sociedad on-loan but injury ruined any prospect of that. It’s looking increasingly likely that he will accept a loan move in January.”
