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Real Madrid are open to loaning Endrick to another team to avoid hindering his progress but the young striker’s priority remains to stay at the Bernabéu to follow in the footsteps of Vinícius Júnior, a source told ESPN Brasil.
The club paid Palmeiras €72 million ($84.5m) for Endrick in 2022 when the forward was still 16 in a move similar to those made previously for other Brazilian stars such as Vinícius and Rodrygo.
Endrick joined Madrid last summer after turning 18 but he played just 847 minutes under Carlo Ancelotti, despite showing his goalscoring instinct in the Copa del Rey with five goals in six games.
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Kylian Mbappé was the undisputed No. 9 and the current Brazil coach opted for other options even when the Frenchman was not available.
In this regard, a source has told ESPN that Ancelotti still has Endrick in his plans for the 2026 World Cup but Ancelotti is also in favour of the 19-year-old striker seeking regular playing time at another club so as not to slow his progress.
Yet, the arrival of Xabi Alonso does not seem to have changed the striker’s situation at the Bernabéu.
Thus, after meetings between the board and the technical staff, Madrid believes that the best option would be for him to go out on loan to another LaLiga team where he could get regular playing time and adapt to the Spanish league.
Endrick is still valued as a player with great potential for the future, but the staff believe that Gonzalo García has a more useful profile at the moment.
Yet, as ESPN reported weeks ago, Alonso requested the arrival of a striker with similar qualities to Joselu to act as a substitute centre-forward in June but, following Gonzalo’s fantastic Club World Cup performances, they have decided that the academy player will fill this role.
Endrick’s future is uncertain but a source clarified that Madrid’s willingness to let him go does not mean that the Brazilian will leave the team during the summer transfer window.
Nevertheless, the source told ESPN that the striker remains committed to staying at Valdebebas. Those close to the Brazilian footballer point out to ESPN that other young players who were loaned out, such as Reinier and Luka Jovic, were not successful, while those who decided to stay, such as Vinícius and Arda Güler, now have a permanent place in the team.
Vinícius, in fact, is the role model most often cited by those who work with the former Palmeiras player.
The winger also “suffered” in his early days in Madrid and even played for Castilla, but ended up winning FIFA’s The Best award in 2024.
For Endrick, Vinícius is the way forward.
On the other hand, it is recognised that Endrick’s injury and the formation used by Alonso so far do not favour the Brazilian.
The new coach has opted for an attack with Mbappé and Vinícius Jr as the only forwards and the Brazilian’s entourage understands that he could have more space in a formation with three forwards.
In this context, Endrick continues his recovery and is confident that on his expected return in September he will be able to convince Alonso that he deserves a place in his team.
A key factor in Endrick’s final decision could be the next World Cup, which will be held in the summer of 2026.
The other element to consider is the future of Rodrygo. Alonso, as seen in the Club World Cup, has the idea of playing with Vinícius and Mbappé up front, so he would need another striker alongside Gonzalo to cover for the two starters when they are absent.
In this regard, as ESPN has previously reported, the official version is that Rodrygo wants to stay at Madrid and Madrid wants Rodrygo to stay, but some sources suggest that his future is still up in the air.