Liverpool and Arsenal are just some of Europe’s elite that are set to lose out to Brazil wonderkid and 16-year-old star, Endrick, who is Real Madrid-bound.
Spanish football expert Gustavo Hofman has told ESPN how the Palmeiras star ranks ‘right after Neymar’ ahead of his £62 million transfer to the Champions League holders.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano added on Twitter that Real Madrid wants to ‘seal and sign the deal very soon’.
In the Premier League, perhaps Liverpool and Arsenal are the clubs with a current strong-hold of Brazilian stars, including those in north London.
With former Brazil international Edu Gaspar at the top of their transfer food chain, they have already dipped into that market of signing a wonderkid from the streets of the South American giants – World Cup star, Gabriel Martinelli is one, whilst summer signing Marquinhos is another.
But they won’t be securing the signature of Endrick, who was likened to Premier League great, Sergio Aguero, in terms of his style of play.
“Real Madrid has a very large tradition with the Brazilian players,” said Hofman. “Real Madrid has one Brazilian director who also works as a scout for Brazilian players. Juni Calafat is his name. He’s the main reason, Real Madrid is in a good position to sign Endrick.
“I would say that Endrick ranks right after Neymar. Right after Vinicius Jr. He is a phenomenon. He is a really talented kid. He’s only 16 and has only played professional football for a couple of weeks.
“If you ask me to compare the way Endrick plays, he’s a centre-forward, but he’s not the kind of traditional nine that we have in football. I would say he is more to Sergio Aguero than any other centre-forward.
“He moves around with the other centre-forward. He looks for the ball. He’s very talented and skilful to finish the play – Real Madrid knows that and every club in the world knows that.”
NO PRESSURE THEN…
A certain player donning Arsenal’s armband once signed for Real Madrid as the next big thing in football.
At the time, Carlo Ancelotti felt that the Spanish giants signed then-16-year-old Martin Odegaard in a ‘PR stunt’ (ESPN), and whilst he didn’t go on to make a name for himself in La Liga, he is now cooking on the Premier League stage.
Perhaps a certain Endrick can take a leaf out of Odegaard’s book because there is going to be serious hype and expectations on his shoulders.
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