Everything had been organised, even down to the church Endrick and his family would attend. In November 2022, Chelsea, under the new leadership of Todd Boehly, had invited the then 16-year-old Brazilian to visit Cobham and Stamford Bridge, and meet some of the players in an attempt to convince him that his first landing place in Europe should be west London.
Endrick has for a long time been considered the best young talent in world football, so good in fact that he is expected to follow in the footsteps of his countrymen Pelé, Ronaldo and Romário and become a global star. And, as we meet at his house in São Paulo, the now 17-year-old Palmeiras forward says he nearly signed for the Premier League club. “I was very close. My parents really liked London and everyone speaks very highly of it.”
