Most valuable U18 player 

Who is Endrick? The new €72m Real Madrid signing considered as talented as Neymar

©TM/IMAGO

Real Madrid have completed the signing of Palmeiras wonderkig Endrick, following confirmation from the player’s Brazilian club on Thursday afternoon. Due to the player’s young age, he won’t actually be able to make the move to the Spanish capital until July 2024, following his 18th birthday. 

Market Value

Endrick

Centre-Forward

€40.00m

It is a mega deal that highlights Endrick’s potential. Real Madrid will reportedly pay €60 million plus taxes—which will see the transfer grow to €72m—to Palmeiras. Having concluded negotiations and signed on the dotted line, the transfer will now become the most expensive U18 transfer in history. 

With the deal now concluded, Real Madrid can pat themselves on the back for seeing off some significant competition. Barcelona and Chelsea were also interested but could never put together a package to convince Palmeiras. Paris Saint-Germain were closer, but they, too, now appear to be out of the race. “PSG were the only other team to make an official offer,” Endrick’s father said (cited by Romano). “There were many clubs from different countries that want to sign him, and PSG is one of them.” 

Endrick to Real Madrid: Los Blancos beat out PSG & Co.

According to ESPN, PSG were willing to pay €80m for Endrick and the one year younger Estêvão, who still plays for Palmeiras’ U17. But the São Paulo-based club wanted at least €60m for Endrick alone, which lines up with his exit clause. Then at the end of November, Endrick’s family had a decisive meeting with Real Madrid that led to a breakthrough in negotiations. Endrick’s father, Douglas, confirmed that the family would sit down with the decision-makers in Madrid. “After that conversation, Real Madrid will wait for our answer to see whether they will make an offer to Palmeiras,” Douglas said (cited by Romano).

So what makes Endrick special? “He is the biggest prospect in Brazil since Neymar,” Brazilian football expert Filippo Silva told Transfermarkt. “However, Endrick is a very different player than Neymar. He is clinical in front of the goal and extremely strong, already capable of pushing a grown man at age 16.” 

A quick look in the TM database underlines Silva’s description. The teenager has scored three goals and one assist in seven Série A appearances for Palmeiras this season. Endrick was also the star at this year’s Copinha, a youth tournament held in the São Paulo region. Playing against players that, on average, were about four to five years older, Endrick scored six goals in seven games, the same amount as 20-year-olds Lucas Barbosa and Rwan Seco (both Santos)—both had an assist to finish ahead in the Golden Boot race. 

The performances at the Copinha and for Palmeiras in the Série A also impacted Endrick’s market value. The left-footed attacker saw his market value increase by €5m to €20m in the latest Série A update, making him one of the three most valuable players in Brazil’s first division and the most valuable U18 player in the world. 

Endrick Brazil’s biggest talent since Neymar – The next Romario?

Although Silva underlines that Endrick is his own player, he does see some comparisons to Brazilian greats Romario and Adriano. “Like them, he is left-footed,” Silva said. “Then there is his natural strength, which we also saw with Romario and Adriano.” Real Madrid have obviously also seen the parallels, and with Karim Benzema nearing his mid-30s, Los Blancos have identified the perfect no.9 to succeed the French striker. 

Neymar at the top
The most expensive Brazilian Série A exports
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Madrid, in fact, have had good experiences when it comes to signing Brazilian talent. Both Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo were signed for €45m and have since become superstars. “The gamble with both those players paid off,” Silva said. “Ever since missing out on Neymar, Real president Fiorentino Perez has gone all in on Brazilian talent,” Silva added.

A gamble that has certainly paid off. Vinicius Junior has since seen his market value increase to €120m, making him the third most valuable player in the world, just behind Erling Haaland (Man City) and Kylian Mbappé (PSG). With a market value of €80m, Rodrygo too is in the top 25 of most valuable players in the world. It would not be crazy to assume that Endrick could soon join both of his Brazilian compatriots as one of the most valuable players on the planet.