Endrick, the talented young Brazilian, has confirmed that he seriously considered joining Chelsea but ultimately chose a move to Real Madrid, the Spanish giants.
A year ago, Madrid secured the 16-year-old attacker for a substantial £52 million, with the completion of the move awaiting his 18th birthday in the middle of July next summer.
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Despite Madrid’s history of signing Brazil’s top talents like Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, there was a brief period where other priorities and significant competition for Endrick’s signature seemed possible.
Paris Saint-Germain, the French powerhouse, and Chelsea, under new ownership with a revised transfer strategy emphasizing young players with immense potential, both made competing moves.
Endrick has disclosed that Real Madrid’s pursuit of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland made him contemplate other possibilities, including a move to Stamford Bridge. However, Madrid remained his top preference throughout.
‘At one point, there was a lot of talk about Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe for Madrid and that was when there was strong interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain,’ Endrick told The Athletic.
‘Of course, they are big and important teams. I am very interested in them and they would be excellent options.
‘I was attracted by the Premier League, the city of London and the fact that English is the economically dominant language in the world.
‘And obviously Chelsea is a strong brand that has won two Champions Leagues.
‘I was told that it rains a lot in London, but that wouldn’t be a problem because, as my father used to say, I always liked playing in the rain. But I always made it clear to my agent that my dream was Real Madrid.’
On the prospect of one day playing with Mbappe at the Bernabeu, Endrick said: ‘Whenever there are high-level players within the team, the team will develop better, and consequently, it will be able to win in attitude, right?
‘So whatever is best for Real Madrid and the entire team, let it be done. I just want to be happy playing my football like I always wanted.
‘Obviously, if I can play with Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo or Kylian it will be something very good. But Florentino [Perez] and all the people around him know what to do which will be better for the club.’
