Endrick leaves Madrid to make his mark, struggling to present at another stage

When Real Madrid officially announced the signing of Endrick three years ago, expectations for the next Brazilian wonderkid were unreasonably high.

Following in the footsteps of Vinícius Junior and Rodrgyo, Endrick was touted as the next superstar to make the leap from Brazil to the Bernabéu. However his two seasons with the club have given few first-team opportunities and he will now leave Madrid this winter.

On Tuesday Madrid announced that Endrick would go on a six-month loan to French side Lyon, giving him the chance to grow away from the blinding spotlight of the Spanish capital. Head coach Xabi Alonso will hope that more playing time can help Endrick, still only 19 years old, to develop his talent.

Endrick’s struggle for Madrid opportunities

Endrick arrived in Madrid in the summer of 2024, aged 18, by which point he had already scored 28 goals for Palmeiras’ first team and showed great promise. The club was attempting a long-term project, with a gradual integration that would lead to regular minutes in La Liga.

But neither of his two Real Madrid coaches have been able to give the youngster many opportunities. Neither Carlo Ancelotti nor Xabi Alonso have felt that they can give Endrick significant minutes. The arrival of Kylian Mbappé and then the emergence of Gonzalo García meant that the Brazilian was relegated to the bench, struggling for minutes.

Endrick will have half a year to prove he can be a goalscoring striker in Europe. If he plays and finds the back of the net with regularity, his situation can be re-evaluated in the summer. However the young star will be well aware that life at Real Madrid is not easy, with only the best of the best getting regular opportunities to perform at the Bernabéu.