At Real Madrid things get complicated again for Endrik. Although this is nothing new for him. In fact, he had already been in a similar situation and showed that he knew how to react. In his first season with Los Blancos under Carlo Ancelotti, he failed to complete 1,000 minutes. still managed to score seven goals and add an assist.
His second season started poorly due to injury, and Xabi Alonso quickly made it clear that Gonzalo was ahead of him in the pecking order. It got to the point that Madrid arranged a winter loan to Lyon so that he could get regular playing time. He certainly made the most of it, finishing the second half of the season with eight goals and eight assists. This earned him a place at the World Cup and secured his return to Madrid, which paid Palmeiras a guaranteed $35 million. and another $25 million in performance-related bonuses.
PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA
However, Endrik now finds himself on shaky ground again. Firstly, at the World Championships, where he received far fewer opportunities than he expected. He played only 34 minutes in the group stage. Ancelotti is giving other players more prominent roles. In particular, Ryan became the coach’s preferred option after Raphinha’s injury forced him out of the tournament. Endrick was limited to short late appearances against Haiti and Scotland, with more to come. I saw how much playing time Ancelotti would give him in the playoffs.
Between Mou and Gonzalo at Real Madrid
This is his first challenge. The next one awaits in Madrid, where he will have to convince the new head coach Jose Mourinho. Mourinho has already made one thing clear to the club: as AS previously reported, he wants a more traditional free-kick striker in the team, someone like Joselu, to cover for Kylian Mbappe. However, this is not considered a top priority, meaning that there is a high probability that Madrid will not enter the transfer market and will instead hand over the role to Gonzalo. The academy graduate who seemed almost certain to leave is no longer expected to do so. The final decision will be up to Mourinho once pre-season begins.
Madrid’s plans for Endrik have not changed. The club still views him as a major long-term investment and fully expects him to be part of the squad next season. But Gonzalo’s presence will likely limit his options. Endrick could still see some minutes on the right flank while Rodrigo continues to recover from injury, especially as a loan move for Mastantuono looks increasingly likely. Another highly rated Madrid prospect, Mastantuono’s development has not yet gone as expected.
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