Liverpool and Manchester United 's hopes of signing Brazilian wonderkid Endrick have been dealt a major blow - with Barcelona having held early transfer talks.
The 16-year-old has become one of the most sought-after young players in world football despite only making seven senior appearances for Palmeiras. It has previously been reported that a number of clubs in the Premier League - including United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal - are keeping a close eye on him.
They will face plenty of competition to sign the Brazilian, with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and many more having been credited with an interest. It appears that the Catalan giants are the front-runners, though, as Xavi has confirmed that talks have already been held regarding a future switch to Camp Nou.
As quoted by ESPN, the Spaniard said: “We have been speaking with his father and also directly with the player [Endrick]. I explained the project we have in Barcelona.
“We want talent and he is a talent, capable of making a difference. He has the goal, he has the dribble, he has a brutal ability to make the difference.
“He is a player from the present, who is already playing in the Brazilian league, and also for the future. He’s the type of player we need. He already knows the project we have at Barcelona and we are talking. We hope he becomes our player.
“It depends on him. It always depends on the player. Usually, a player will end up playing where he wants to play. So it’s a very personal decision by Endrick.”
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Whilst Xavi has expressed his hope over signing Endrick, Barcelona and any other clubs interested in his services have to wait to make a move. He cannot officially leave his homeland until he turns 18 in the summer of 2024, but he is able to sign a pre-transfer agreement with a club next year.
The teenager has two-and-a-half years left on his Palmeiras contract and it is suggested that any deal could cost up to €60million (£51.6m). That would see him become one of the most expensive teenagers in history, with only Anthony Martial, Matthijs de Ligt, Joao Felix and Kylian Mbappe having cost more.
It remains to be seen whether Barcelona would be able to seal the signing of the youngster considering the dire straits of their finances - a problem that saw Lionel Messi bring to an end his spell in Catalonia.
Endrick only made his senior Palmeiras debut earlier this year, going on to make seven appearances for the Brazilian side. Only three of those outings have seen him named in the starting XI but in that time, he has managed to score three goals.
