Real Madrid striker Endrick was once a target for Liverpool as per his agent Federico Pena, but the Premier League giants took too much time to make a move.
The Reds were always a step behind when it came to grabbing players ahead of their Spanish rivals. It has been quite a frustrating issue as many of their preferred players have landed in Madrid.
Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and now Endrick, all were heavily scouted by Jurgen Klopp’s side. Madrid have had the last laugh on all three occasions.
Talking about the Brazilian wonderkid, the 17-year-old was in spectacular form as the South American nation’s Under-17s won the 2022 Montaigu Cup.
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The young striker scored five goals in four games and was already attracting a lot of attention from scouters. That’s when his agent Pena, started calling the elite clubs to witness one of the finest young players in the world.
He knew that Endrick would be a superstar in the future, a true contender for the Ballon d’Or.
Liverpool and Chelsea were the first to enquire about the player but kept delaying a move. Madrid pounced on the deal and met Palmeiras’ demand by paying £51m for the Brazilian.
The player’s agent has revealed how the Reds were left behind by a strategically superior Madrid. As quoted by the Telegraph, he said:
“I think the first time we saw Endrick was playing in an Under-13 tournament for Palmeiras. It was clear, even on videos, that he was a once-in-a-generation kind of talent.”
“That (the Montaigu Tournament) was when the world really sat up and took notice. People in football already knew about him, but that’s when all of the top clubs came in – Manchester City, Liverpool, Paris St-Germain, Chelsea and, of course, Real Madrid.”
“All his father wanted for him was to be a footballer and to play for Real Madrid, so that was huge for him.”
Chelsea were also actively involved in this deal and met with the player’s parents at Cobham. But their hesitancy to match his club’s asking price knocked them out of the race.
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Madrid never wanted to miss another South American talent after losing out on Neymar to Barcelona. They were quick to grab Vini and now Endrick.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will be unhappy with the way they are getting beaten in the transfer market.
Maybe it’s time for them to stop making noises and start securing transfers even before other teams sneak into the deal.
