Endrick is heading into his third season at Real Madrid, still surrounded by the uncertainty that has followed him since arriving in a deal worth up to €60million (£51.5m; $69.8m) in July 2024. But one major factor is different this time: Madrid have another new coach, and Jose Mourinho has made it clear he wants the Brazilian to stay.

The 20-year-old striker is yet to make a competitive appearance under Mourinho as he works his way back to full fitness following a thigh muscle injury suffered shortly before La Liga's restart in August, although he did feature in several pre-season friendlies. He was in the Madrid squad for the first time this season on Tuesday night for the 2-1 Champions League win over Inter, but did not come off the bench.

Mourinho's Stamp of Approval

As reported by The Athletic on August 10, Mourinho was largely responsible for ensuring Endrick did not leave during the summer transfer window, with Aston Villa and Roma among the most interested suitors. The Portuguese coach confirmed as much at a press conference on August 25.

"He's a player I really like, who has received so many inquiries from clubs about a loan or a sale," Mourinho said. "I haven't wanted to sell him because I like him and enjoy working with this young player who has significant talent."

Mourinho does like Endrick's profile, and he has told him that he will get playing time this term, both as a centre-forward and on the right wing. However, the youngster does not seem to have an easy path towards becoming a regular starter in either position. That is why Endrick's situation will be reviewed before the transfer window reopens in January, with the possibility of another loan still on the table.

A Stalled Progress

The stakes are high. Endrick represents one of Madrid's strongest bets on young talent. Barcelona, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain had all followed the forward before Madrid reached an agreement with Palmeiras to sign him for an initial €35million plus €25m in add-ons in 2022. The value of the deal has already reached close to €50m.

Endrick arrived at Madrid in the summer of 2024 after turning 18 on July 21 that year. In his debut campaign, he played 847 minutes across 37 matches, scoring seven goals and providing one assist, with an average time per goal involvement of 105.8 minutes. But then-manager Carlo Ancelotti made no secret of his reservations about the youngster due to his age — just as he did with Arda Guler, who arrived in July 2023. The Italian argued that at Madrid, young players have to "taste the bench" first.

His second year proved even more challenging. A hamstring injury suffered towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign meant he missed that summer's Club World Cup, where new manager Xabi Alonso chose academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia to replace the injured Kylian Mbappe. Garcia responded with four goals and one assist in six matches and ended up signing a contract renewal before completing a €40million move to Fulham in early August.

Alonso advised Endrick to leave in pursuit of regular football, but the Brazilian, against the advice of some voices close to him, decided to stay and fight for his place. After returning from injury, he spent eight consecutive games as an unused substitute before deciding to go out on loan to Lyon when the transfer window reopened in November.

Resurgence in Lyon and World Cup Disappointment

At Lyon, Endrick scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 21 games, helping secure his place in Brazil's squad for the 2026 World Cup — led by Ancelotti. There was considerable clamour for Endrick to be more involved than he was at the tournament, where Brazil were knocked out by Norway in the last 16. He did not have much of an impact in the 111 minutes he played across four games.

A New Chapter Under Mourinho

Before the World Cup, back in April, Real Madrid told Endrick that they were counting on him for the coming season, as Garcia would leave. That message evolved following Mourinho's appointment. The new coach wanted to see Garcia in pre-season, and liked his profile, but with no guarantee of regular playing time, the 22-year-old joined Fulham. Madrid also signed Carlos Espi, 21, from Levante in a surprise move worth around €25million.

Mourinho was keen to have a striker in the mould of Joselu, who played a key role in the 2023-24 La Liga and Champions League double, and Garcia's sale made the addition possible. The prevailing view in the Spanish media was that Endrick would need to leave, but The Athletic reported that the Brazilian wanted to stay, and according to people close to Mourinho, the coach was delighted with his efforts in training.

As several clubs in Spain and across Europe expressed interest, a joint decision was taken by the club, Mourinho and the player himself to commit to him staying. Mourinho played a key role, speaking to Endrick and explaining his plans. As well as being a replacement for Mbappe as a centre-forward, he plans to deploy Endrick on the right wing — a position where Mourinho does not see Federico Valverde or Bernardo Silva as options.

"He's confident because Mourinho told him he'd be an important player and would get playing time," said a source involved in the day-to-day at Madrid's training ground, speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment.

Fierce Competition Ahead

Despite the optimism, some people around Endrick have doubts about how regularly he will play, which is why a review will be conducted before the January transfer window. Mbappe is not likely to miss many matches, and Endrick will also face competition from Espi, who was top scorer in pre-season and scored the winner in the dying moments of Madrid's La Liga opener against Espanyol.

On the right wing, the challenges are equally daunting. It is not Endrick's most natural position, and it is the spot Mourinho has found to fit Guler into a team where places are highly contested due to the starting status held by Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. Then there is Yan Diomande, signed in a deal that could rise to a club record €140million (€125m plus €15m in add-ons) this summer. Brahim Diaz is yet another strong option on the right flank, having forced himself into every conversation under each manager since his return to the club in 2023. Rodrygo is also expected to have recovered from his knee injury by January.

Endrick was included in Ancelotti's latest Brazil squad, announced on Wednesday, for two friendlies against Australia (September 25 and 29) and one against India (October 3). Madrid's next game is on Saturday at home to Rayo Vallecano. It may still be a little early to expect Endrick to feature prominently — training-ground sources say his return has been managed carefully — but the situation around the promising young striker should soon start to properly take shape.