Endrick could be running out of time to impress at Real Madrid, and Monday night’s Copa del Rey clash with fourth-tier Miner could be a defining moment for the teenager.
Endrick arrived from Palmeiras this summer with great fanfare – his transfer secured more than 18 months earlier in 2022 when the player was just 16, in a similar fashion to compatriots Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo joining the club earlier.
But despite scoring on his La Liga debut in just four minutes against Real Valladolid in August, and later on his Champions League debut against Stuttgart the following month, things have been incredibly difficult for the Brazilian teenager.
Endrick started only once Real Madrid and his minutes in La Liga since the end of September total only 42, without further goals. He didn’t even make it off the bench in wins over Sevilla and Valencia either side of Christmas, or even during the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.
AS suggests that Carlo Ancelotti’s refusal to commit to whether Endrick will start against Minera, three leagues below Madrid in Spain’s football pyramid, is a concern and that his failure to be picked for the squad could mean his situation is already under review, while the poor performance if approved, it could also be expensive.
If Endrick, who is out of favor with La Liga and the Champions League, cannot get a meaningful opportunity in a cup game of this nature, it would be terribly damning. Typically behind Brahim Diaz and Arda Guler in the attacking formation, the youngster’s window to impress is otherwise very limited.
AS adds that until now it was not the intention of the club to ask for a loan for the rest of the season, not only considering the worn-out nature of the wider squad.
Endrick scored freely for Palmeiras for 18 months starting in early 2023, also promising a promising start to his international career with record goals against England and Spain. But the player had to forget a shock Copa America, including a 90-minute performance in the quarter-finals against Uruguay in which his only successful pass was a kick-off.
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