Tottenham could battle it out with Juventus for the loan signing of Real Madrid gem Endrick
Tottenham Hotspur largely enjoyed a successful transfer window. They showed great desire to sign Archie Gray from Leeds United by beating London rivals Brentford, while also breaking their transfer record to sign Dominic Solanke in a £65m move from Bournemouth.
Although Ange Postecoglou has been impressed with summer recruit Wilson Odobert, the winger has been on the sidelines since last month. The Greek-Australian coach continues to shuffle his options out wide, constantly switching players from game to game depending on their form and availability.
But it seems the Lilywhites could be eyeing another winger addition, with one current La Liga gem catching Ange Postecoglou’s sharp eye.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Spurs are one of the two clubs in a strong position to sign Real Madrid starlet Endrick on loan in January. The other club interested in his services is Serie A giants Juventus.
Regarded as one of the hottest prospects in world football, Endrick moved to Real Madrid from Palmeiras in the summer in an eye-popping deal that will eventually surpass €60m if all bonuses are met. The Spanish giants agreed a deal to sign the teenager in December 2022, but the prospect could not formally join the club until his 18th birthday on July 21, 2024.
However, with the intense competition within the attacking ranks at Santiago Bernabeu, the 13-cap Brazil international has found limited game time. Endrick has only seen minutes off the bench, as head coach Carlo Ancelotti eases him into the new surroundings.
Indeed, he has made just one start so far for Real Madrid, but with the gifted forward desperate for more regular minutes, Ancelotti is willing to let him leave him on loan during the mid-season trading period. The aforementioned report adds Spurs have set their sights on loaning Endrick for five months, with Ange Postecoglou keen to reinforce his attacking options for the gruelling second half of the season.
Madrid will only allow a dry loan for Endrick as they have high expectations from the player. The European champions will be keen to ensure that whichever side the prodigious Brazilian joins temporarily are competing at the higher end of their respective leagues and can also offer the player regular first-team football.
-> Tight wage structure hindered Tottenham from signing England international who Postecoglou wanted
For Tottenham, Endrick is a great prospect to have in the squad but Big Ange already has the likes of Son Heung-min, Richarlison, Timo Werner, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke and Mikey Moore as attacking options at his disposal. All of them can operate in the sort of positions the Samba talent prefers to play in.
That said, the Lilywhites must pass on the prospect of signing Endrick on loan and instead focus on recruiting a central defender in January. Touted to be a better prospect that Vinicius Jr, time will tell whether Endrick will prove his fans right. Whether Tottenham will have a role to play in the development remains to be seen.