According to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Endrick is in his third season since joining Real Madrid, but the 22-year-old Brazilian forward's future remains uncertain. José Mourinho personally pushed for him to stay this summer, promising playing time, but Real Madrid will re-evaluate his situation before the winter transfer window opens in January, and another loan spell remains a possible option.

Endrick officially joined Real Madrid in July 2024, shortly after turning 18. Real Madrid had agreed with Palmeiras in 2022 to sign him for a fixed transfer fee of €35 million plus €25 million in add-ons, totaling close to €50 million. Barcelona, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain had also been interested in the Brazilian forward.

However, Endrick's development since joining Real Madrid has not been smooth. In his first season, he made 37 appearances across all competitions, totaling 847 minutes, contributing 7 goals and 1 assist, directly participating in a goal every 105.8 minutes on average.

Then-coach Carlo Ancelotti did not fully trust the young Endrick. The Italian coach believed that young players joining Real Madrid first needed to experience the bench, similar to how he had previously handled Arda Güler.

Real Madrid's management at the time comforted Endrick, pointing out that his 37 appearances in his first season exceeded Vinícius Jr.'s 31 appearances and Rodrygo's 26 appearances in their respective first seasons. However, in terms of actual playing time, Vinícius Jr. and Rodrygo played 1,742 minutes and 1,428 minutes respectively that season, significantly more than Endrick's 847 minutes.

Endrick's second season proved even more challenging. Towards the end of the 2024-25 season, he suffered a hamstring injury and missed the subsequent Club World Cup. When Xabi Alonso took over Real Madrid, he chose to use Gonzalo García while Mbappé was sidelined. García contributed 4 goals and 1 assist in 6 games and retained his place in the first team due to his impressive performances.

Although Endrick joined the squad in the United States during the Club World Cup, he suffered another hamstring injury and did not return to action until mid-September.

That summer, Alonso had suggested Endrick leave to secure consistent playing time. Despite some advisors urging him to accept the proposal, Endrick chose to stay and fight for his place at Real Madrid. After recovering from injury, he sat on the bench for 8 consecutive matches without getting a chance to play, eventually joining Lyon on loan in November's winter transfer window.

During his half-season at Lyon, Endrick contributed 8 goals and 8 assists in 21 games, earning a place in Ancelotti's Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup.

However, Brazil was eliminated by Norway in the World Cup Round of 16, and Endrick played only 111 minutes across 4 appearances, failing to make a significant impact.

In April of this year, before the World Cup began, Real Madrid told Endrick he would remain part of their plans for the new season, as Gonzalo García was expected to leave. The situation changed temporarily when Mourinho took over, as he wanted to assess García during pre-season and greatly appreciated the forward's characteristics. However, unable to guarantee consistent playing time, the 22-year-old García ultimately joined Fulham in early August for €40 million.

Real Madrid then signed 21-year-old Carlos Espi from Levante for approximately €25 million. Mourinho wanted a center-forward similar to Javi Paz—a player capable of coming off the bench and directly contributing goals. García's departure created the conditions for Espi's signing.

With Espi's arrival, Spanish media generally believed Endrick would need to leave Real Madrid again. However, The Athletic learned that Endrick himself wanted to stay, and Mourinho was very satisfied with his commitment in training.

When several clubs from Spain and other European leagues began inquiring about Endrick, Real Madrid, Mourinho, and the player ultimately decided together to keep him. Aston Villa and Roma were among the clubs most interested in him that summer.

Mourinho publicly confirmed on August 25 that he was instrumental in keeping Endrick at the club.

He said: "He is a player I really like, and many clubs have inquired about the possibility of loaning or buying him. I don't want to sell him because I like him and I like working with this very talented young player."

Mourinho also personally communicated with Endrick, outlining his plans for using him. In addition to serving as Mbappé's backup center-forward, Mourinho also planned to try Endrick on the right wing. An important reason was that Mourinho does not believe Federico Valverde or Bernardo Silva are suitable options for the right-wing position.

People close to Real Madrid's training base operations revealed: "He is very confident now because Mourinho told him that he will be an important player and will get playing time."

However, it remains difficult for Endrick to secure a regular spot in Real Madrid's rotation.

At center-forward, Mbappé is not expected to miss many games, and Endrick must also compete with Espi for the primary backup role. Espi not only became Real Madrid's leading scorer during pre-season but also scored the winning goal in the closing moments of the first La Liga match against Espanyol.

The right wing is also highly competitive and not Endrick's most familiar position. Currently, Mourinho has deployed Arda Güler on the right to address squad balance issues when Mbappé, Vinícius Jr., and Jude Bellingham occupy key starting positions.

Additionally, Real Madrid signed 19-year-old Ivorian winger Yann Diomandé this summer. The deal involves a fixed transfer fee of €125 million plus €15 million in add-ons, totaling up to €140 million, making him potentially the most expensive signing in Real Madrid's history.

Brahim Díaz is also a strong contender for the right-wing position, starting against Malaga on August 30. Meanwhile, Rodrygo is expected to recover from his knee injury by January at the latest.

Therefore, despite Mourinho's promises to provide Endrick with opportunities, some people close to the player remain skeptical whether he will secure consistent playing time. This is why all parties plan to reassess the situation before the winter transfer window opens.

Endrick has been recovering from a thigh muscle injury this season. He appeared in the squad list for the first time this season when Real Madrid defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, but did not play, as Mourinho selected Brahim for the right-wing position.

Sources at Real Madrid's training base report that the club is currently very cautious about Endrick's recovery, aiming to minimize the risk of re-injury.

Meanwhile, Ancelotti announced Brazil's latest national team squad on Wednesday, and Endrick was included again. Brazil will play two friendlies against Australia on September 25 and 29, followed by a match against India on October 3.

Real Madrid's next match is at home against Rayo Vallecano this Saturday. Given that Endrick has only recently returned from injury, he may not yet be ready to handle extensive playing time. However, as his physical condition gradually improves, his true standing in Mourinho's system will soon become clear.

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