Real Madrid have made a solid start to the new season. They won 2-0 against Espanyol at the weekend. However, one young player has yet to play a minute of football this campaign.
Endrick, the 19-year-old Brazilian forward, has been recovering from a thigh injury. He was back on the bench for the Espanyol game.
But the forward remains behind Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in the pecking order. The teenager joined from Palmeiras last summer.
Madrid paid €35 million along with €25 million in add-ons for the player back in 2022. He scored seven goals in his debut season, with five of those coming in the Copa del Rey.
In La Liga, he managed just one goal in 22 appearances under Carlo Ancelotti. With limited opportunities in the first team, Endrick was linked with a move away in the summer transfer window.
According to Matteo Moretto via Fichajes, Serie A giants Juventus came close to securing the youngster’s signature in the final days of the window.
The Italian club were offered the chance to sign Endrick on loan, and serious consideration was given to the proposal.
Endrick’s representatives reportedly opened talks with Juventus due to doubts over his pathway into the Real Madrid starting eleven.
There was interest from the Serie A side, but the discussions never progressed beyond an exploratory stage.
In the end, Real Madrid decided to keep Endrick. New head coach Xabi Alonso also wanted the player to remain at the club for the 2025–26 season.
At Juventus, Dusan Vlahovic’s form has pushed new signing Jonathan David to the bench, while Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao are also competing for minutes in the final third.
Had Vlahovic departed, Juventus might have pushed harder for Endrick. But with the Serbian back in favour, both Real Madrid and the player ultimately chose to continue his development in Spain.
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