Real Madrid have spent €72m on a player who will join the club in 2024 and who has only played seven senior football matches.
In most cases, this would be ridiculous. But when that player is a Brazilian prodigy, it starts to make sense.
Endrick, who turned 16 in July, has been likened to Brazilian legends Ronaldo Nazário and Romário due to his prolific goalscoring, difficulty to tackle and enormous potential.
After Neymar’s hugely successful transfer from Santos to Barcelona, Real Madrid have been alert to not miss out on the best young talents in Brazil. They spent at least €120m between the 2018 and 2019 summer transfer windows on Brazilian wonderkids Vinicius Junior, Reinier and Rodrygo, signing them as soon as they were eligible to join after turning 18.
Vinicius Junior has been a massive success, cementing his position on the left wing for club and country, whilst Rodrygo has steadily improved and already has four goals and four assists in 12 La Liga appearances this season. Reinier is the odd one out as he has struggled to make any impression yet, however, he is still only 20-years-old, so time is still on his side.
Whilst Endrick’s senior career is still in its infancy, his value comes from his performances in Palmeiras’ youth squads, which have garnered him global attention. He scored 167 goals in 170 games since joining Palmeiras at 11 years old and won player of the tournament at the prestigious under-20s Copinha 2022 for Palmeiras last January – he was 15-years-old.
Most Brazilian wonderkids have great technical ability but it’s their physical attributes that hold them back after a few years when they make moves to European giants. For example, Vinicius Junior only became a superstar last season due to having to adjust to the increased physicality of the European game.
Despite being quite short for a striker at 5’8, in the Copinha 2022 he was able to hold off defenders with his strength whilst dribbling, drawing comparisons to Ronaldo Nazário. And Endrick’s two-footedness and dominance at youth level has drawn comparisons with Neymar.
Endrick appears to have a hunger for goals and a desire for success that is similar to his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Scoring a goal is a sensational feeling, it is unique in football,” he recently said.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol, and he is decisive in front of goal. I have to follow his lead. Before the games I envision Ronaldo (Nazário) and Cristiano. I try to follow their lead. When the game is very difficult, like a tough 1-1, I ask the guys to pass the ball to me, because I have this spirit of wanting to score goals. I will always want more.”
The coordinator of Palmeiras’ academy supports the idea that Endrick is unstoppable, saying: “He is like a force of nature.
“He always brings something. As water goes downhill, or fire goes uphill, there’s no way to hold him back.”
When Vinicius Junior joined Real Madrid, he was significantly less hyped, and he has become one of the best wingers in the world.
If Endrick fulfils his potential, he could be one of the best of all time. He is following in the footsteps of his idols and could become Real Madrid’s next Galactico.