As Endrick spends more and more time on the bench, speculation is mounting about the 18-year-old's place at Real Madrid.
Despite Real Madrid's recent struggles, Carlo Ancelotti has called upon his new Brazilian striker just once in Los Blancos' last six matches. In fact, Endrick has only logged 122 minutes across all competitions for the defending Spanish champions this season.
The former Palmeiras player signed with Real Madrid as a 16-year-old, but only joined the club this summer once he turned 18. He scored two goals in his first five appearances, but soon found himself relegated to the bench.
Amid continued questions about Ancelotti's plans for the striker, The Sun reported that Endrick could be on his way to the Premier League to join Southampton in a shock transfer. Sky Sports reported The Sun's initial story as well, fueling the growing rumors.
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In theory, Real Madrid sending Endrick out on loan would not come as a huge surprise, considering his lack of playing time. The club has made similar moves in the past with young talent, including Martin Ødegaard, Takefusa Kubo and Luka Jović. Except a link with last-place Southampton never made much sense and was immediately dispelled by Fabrizio Romano.
"Real Madrid have not activated any plan to loan out Endrick in January and Endrick is not planning to leave," Romano said. "Reports from England about Southampton loan move are not true at all."
According to Romano, Endrick's future at Real Madrid is secure. As of now, it looks like the teenager will just have to wait his turn and prove himself once he gets more consistent opportunities. It took his fellow Brazil teammate Vinícius Júnior years before he emerged as a player worthy of Cristiano Ronaldo's shirt number. The winger joined Real Madrid in 2018 at age 18, but did not truly break into the side and become a consistent starter until 2021.
It goes without saying that Endrick and 19-year-old Arda Güler will get more playing time if Los Blancos start dominating games. The two youngsters both played 15 minutes against Osasuna once Real Madrid took a commanding 4–0 lead.
Coming back from the November international break, Real Madrid is still dealing with an injury crisis. Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão are out for the season with ACL injuries, and Aurélien Tchouaméni, Lucas Vázquez and Rodrygo are all sidelined with various issues. Fede Valverde is expected to move to right back while Brahim Díaz could get the nod up top with Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.
With so little options for Ancelotti on the bench, Endrick's number is bound to get called, but it is up to the Brazilian to make the most of his limited minutes to avoid a future loan spell that could hinder his place at Real Madrid.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Is Real Madrid Sending Endrick on Loan? What We Know.
