Los Blancos need to send their big-money teenager out on loan – it's the best idea for both parties
It all started so well for Endrick – how could it not? The Brazilian was subject to immense hype before he even arrived at Santiago Bernabeu. There was the big transfer fee and adulation for Cristiano Ronaldo. There were the highlight reels that stuffed social media feeds and the video of Jude Bellingham calling him a "superstar". Cue the Real Madrid hype train.
Fast forward to the present day, and things are radically different. Through four months of the season, Endrick has played a meagre 170 minutes for Los Blancos. He is yet to start a game. Even with the club suffering from injury issues all across the front line, head coach Carlo Ancelotti has been reluctant to give the Brazilian a proper run-out.
Instead, this is a player feeding off scraps, a €60 million signing left to watch from the bench, or make the most of sparing minutes at the ends of games. Rhythm, experience and confidence are all so vital for a player of Endrick's age – especially with the pressure of a big club on his back. And perhaps it's time for the easy solution; an Endrick loan, something that was teased in the summer, has never made more sense.
Getty Images SportPromising early signs
It's hard to outline what, exactly, would be considered a success for Endrick – especially in the early days of his Madrid career. After all, in such a busy dressing room that also included attacking mavericks such as Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham, bench minutes was always going to be the most likely outcome.
In the early goings, he made the most of it. Endrick only got five minutes in his Blancos debut – against Valladolid on August 25 – but impressed immediately. He was a livewire from the second he entered the pitch, all energy and pressing. And, accordingly, he got his reward. Five touches – one to control the ball, three to turn and cut in, and a final one to shoot – secured a fine debut goal. Yes, the goalkeeper probably should have saved it, but it didn't really matter. Endrick had arrived.
What followed was a series of interesting appearances off the bench. His introduction allowed for a late rest for Rodrygo, Mbappe or Vinicius, and stretched opposition defences late on. He needed 12 minutes of electric football to get off five shots – and was good value for his Brazil call-up for the September international break.
That was only backed up, a month later, by a well-taken goal against Stuttgart to help secure a 3-1 Champions League win. The kid had arrived.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportNot all rosy
But then something happened. Endrick's energy was never lacking, but the fluidity on the ball went missing. That elegant first touch and sharp movement wasn't quite there. Passes were misplaced, and confidence dropped as a result. He played in matchweeks six, seven and eight for Madrid, but then found himself benched for long stretches.
It took, in fact, almost six weeks for the Brazilian to be reintroduced to La Liga – despite no apparent long-term injury enforcing his absence from the team. Something was wrong. Carlo Ancelotti insisted that these were the growing pains of a young player, and that Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham needed time to gel. There was the further complication that Rodrygo – a world-class talent in his own right – was struggling for minutes. How was Endrick supposed to get into that team?
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It is an odd thing that Ancelotti chooses to complain about Madrid's depth. Sure, they are short-handed in defence – and now look misguided in their refusal to bring in a centre-back last summer. but they are blessed with a wealth of attacking talent. It's not just the front three, or the fact that they are often forced to bench Rodrygo. Brahim Diaz (excellent) and Arda Guler (promising) have also shown that they deserve minutes in their own right.
Even Luka Modric, used in a more advanced position when Madrid switch to a 4-4-2 diamond, has cut into Endrick's minutes. Zoom out, and he can have very few complaints. There is just too much quality here for him to expect to walk into the side.
Cesar Greco/Palmeiras/by CanonA loan move made sense at the start
And perhaps that's the broader question to be asked; was this ever really a good idea? Sure, it made tons of sense when Madrid brought in Vinicius in a similar big-money move. They had depth on the wing at the time, and the Brazilian would always get time to develop in the youth sides. He was also far more raw. There was no rush here. And although he faced plenty of criticism, Madrid managed his minutes well – and hid him from the spotlight when needed.
Endrick, though, arrived in Spain a more complete talent – and with higher expectations. Vinicius is, in a roundabout way, partially to blame. There was always going to be the need for the next great Brazilian. Endrick seemed to be that. But there was talk of a loan move for some time, both when he initially signed in December 2022, and last summer, when it became clear that Los Blancos were going to bring in Mbappe. Whether that was an extra season in Palmeiras or even a spell at another European club, it might have been shrewd to ship him back out.
