Mourinho needs tall striker, Endrick doesn't fit his requirements

Marca reports that Endrick is in a difficult situation, facing an almost insurmountable challenge after Mourinho signed Carlos Espí.

The situation Endrick encountered after his vacation far exceeded his expectations. The Brazilian striker, who cut his vacation short after the World Cup and returned with hopes of competing for a spot, found himself facing an almost impossible task, virtually marginalized. The team originally had two strikers under Mourinho – Mbappé and Gonzalo García. However, with Gonzalo García's departure taking shape (his move to Fulham, coached by Arbeloa, is almost official), there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for Endrick to once again compete with the Frenchman for a starting position.

However, this glimmer of hope was fleeting. Real Madrid had already lined up a replacement for Gonzalo García, and this signing was at the explicit request of Mourinho – he needed a tall center-forward who could act as a pivot, similar to Adebayor, whom he signed during his first stint at Real Madrid. Endrick does not fit this profile. Consequently, Real Madrid quickly finalized the deal for Carlos Espí on Thursday evening, paying 25 million euros to activate the Levante striker's release clause. The 1.94-meter-tall Valencian striker signed a contract until 2031. Endrick unintentionally became an indirect casualty of this plan.

The impact of this move was immediate. This Friday, the former Levante striker had already completed training at the Valdebebas training ground and was even included in the squad for the team's first pre-season friendly against Fiorentina, alongside Endrick. Both traveled for the away game, but their prospects were starkly different: one arrived with exciting novelty, while the other saw his space shrink again.

In this situation, Endrick once again feels almost excluded from the team's plans, and now he faces a coach he hasn't even had time to convince, despite cutting his vacation short. This is exactly how he felt before his loan to Lyon in December 2025. That departure ultimately materialized, and the Brazilian spent six months there, primarily playing as a right winger, gaining playing time and confidence, albeit away from the pure center-forward position.

However, that very path of finding new life on the wing is now blocked. Real Madrid has a plethora of high-caliber players in the right-wing position. There's the incoming Jan-Diomande, Díaz as a wild card, Rodrygo expected to return around the end of the year, and even Valverde who can potentially play in this position. From any angle, Real Madrid's attack offers almost no space for this 20-year-old player who is still looking for an opportunity to prove himself.

While there is still time throughout the pre-season, plans made in July rarely carry through completely until September. Endrick will get playing time in friendly matches, trying to reopen a discussion that now seems closed. His youth is still a reason to be patient. But the current starting point pushes the Brazilian back to the starting line he wanted to escape, and this time, he faces more competitors and less hope in his heart than when he first went to France.

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