The Athletic: Real Madrid will reassess Endrick in January, with another loan move possible

According to The Athletic, Endrick has entered his third season after joining Real Madrid, but the future of the 20-year-old Brazilian forward remains uncertain. Jose Mourinho personally pushed for him to stay this summer and promised him playing opportunities, but Real Madrid will reassess his situation before the January transfer window opens, with another loan move still a possible option.

Endrick officially joined Real Madrid in July 2024, when he had just turned 18. Real Madrid reached an agreement with Palmeiras as early as 2022 to sign him for a €35 million fixed fee plus €25 million in add-ons, and the actual value of the deal has now approached €50 million. Barcelona, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain had also followed the Brazilian forward previously.

However, Endrick's development after joining Real Madrid has not gone smoothly. In his first season, he made 37 appearances in all competitions, totaling 847 minutes, and scored seven goals with one assist, directly contributing to a goal every 105.8 minutes on average.

At the time, manager Carlo Ancelotti did not fully trust the young Endrick. The Italian coach believed young players arriving at Real Madrid first needed to experience a period on the bench, similar to how he had handled Arda Guler.

Real Madrid's management had reassured Endrick by pointing out that his 37 appearances in his first season were more than Vinicius Junior's 31 and Rodrygo's 26 in their debut seasons. However, in terms of actual playing time, Vinicius and Rodrygo received 1,742 and 1,428 minutes respectively, both significantly higher than Endrick.

Endrick's second season was even more difficult. At the end of the 2024-25 season, he suffered a hamstring injury and missed the subsequent Club World Cup. After Xabi Alonso took over at Real Madrid, he chose Gonzalo Garcia during Mbappe's injury absence; Garcia scored four goals and provided one assist in six matches and earned a place in the first team with his performances.

Although Endrick joined the team in the United States during the later stages of the Club World Cup, he suffered another hamstring injury and did not return to matches until mid-September.

That summer, Alonso advised Endrick to leave the club to gain regular playing time. Although people around him also suggested accepting the option, Endrick decided to stay at Real Madrid and compete for his place. After recovering, he sat on the bench for eight consecutive matches without playing and eventually decided in November to join Lyon on loan during the winter window.

During his six months at Lyon, Endrick scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 21 matches, and his performances helped him earn a place in Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad under Ancelotti.

However, Brazil were eventually eliminated by Norway in the World Cup round of 16, and Endrick made four appearances during the tournament for only 111 minutes, having little overall impact.

Before the World Cup began in April this year, Real Madrid told Endrick that he remained part of their plans for the new season because Gonzalo Garcia was expected to leave. The situation changed after Mourinho took charge, as he wanted to evaluate Gonzalo during preseason and liked the forward's qualities. However, due to the inability to guarantee regular playing time, the 22-year-old Gonzalo eventually joined Fulham for €40 million in early August.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid signed 21-year-old Carlos Espi from Levante for around €25 million. Mourinho wanted a striker similar to Joselu, someone who could come off the bench and contribute goals directly, and Gonzalo's departure created the conditions for signing Espi.

With Espi's arrival, Spanish media generally believed Endrick needed to leave Real Madrid again. However, The Athletic previously learned that Endrick himself wanted to stay, and Mourinho was very satisfied with his commitment in training.

After clubs from Spain and other European leagues began asking about Endrick, Real Madrid, Mourinho and the player jointly decided that he would remain. Aston Villa and Roma were among the clubs most interested in him this summer.

On August 25, Mourinho publicly confirmed that he was an important reason why Endrick did not leave.

He said: "He is a player I really like. Many clubs have asked about the possibility of loaning or buying him. I do not want to sell him because I like him and I enjoy working with this very talented young player."

Mourinho also spoke personally with Endrick to explain his plans for using him. Besides serving as Mbappe's backup striker, he also plans to try Endrick on the right wing. One important reason is that Mourinho does not consider Federico Valverde or Bernardo Silva suitable options for the right-wing position.

People close to the daily work at Real Madrid's training ground revealed: "He is very confident now because Mourinho told him he would become an important player and would receive playing time."

However, it will still not be easy for Endrick to become a regular part of Real Madrid's rotation.

At center forward, Mbappe is not expected to miss many matches, and Endrick will have to compete with Espi for the first substitute role. Espi was not only Real Madrid's top scorer in preseason but also scored a late winner against Espanyol in the opening La Liga match.

Competition on the right wing is also intense, and it is not Endrick's most familiar position. Mourinho has already arranged for Guler to play on the right side to solve the squad balance issue with Mbappe, Vinicius and Jude Bellingham occupying important starting roles.

In addition, Real Madrid signed 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande this summer. The deal includes a €125 million fixed fee plus €15 million in add-ons, reaching a maximum total of €140 million, and could become the most expensive signing in Real Madrid history.

Brahim Diaz is also an important competitor for the right-wing position, and he started against Malaga on August 30. Meanwhile, Rodrygo is expected to recover from his knee injury no later than January next year.

Therefore, although Mourinho has promised to give Endrick opportunities, some people close to the player still question whether he can obtain regular playing time. This is why all parties plan to reassess the situation before the winter transfer window opens.

Endrick had been recovering from a thigh muscle injury this season. When Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, he was included in a matchday squad for the first time this season but did not play, with Mourinho choosing Brahim on the right wing.

Sources at Real Madrid's training ground said the club is currently being very cautious with Endrick's recovery and hopes to reduce the risk of another injury as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Ancelotti announced the latest Brazil national team squad on Wednesday, and Endrick was selected again. Brazil will play two friendly matches against Australia on September 25 and 29, followed by a match against India on October 3.

Real Madrid's next match will be at home against Rayo Vallecano this Saturday. Considering Endrick has only just recovered from injury, he may not yet be able to handle a large amount of playing time. However, as his physical condition gradually improves, his true role in Mourinho's system will soon become clearer.