In Spain, some observers still struggle to understand why Endrick was loaned out, given his talent and what he could have brought to Real Madrid.
Loaned this winter to Olympique Lyonnais, the Brazilian quickly established himself as one of the revelations of Ligue 1. At just 19 years old, Endrick leaves no one indifferent: in five matches, he scored five goals and provided one assist, before getting sent off last night against Nantes. An intense start to his adventure, reflecting a player who has been living life at full speed since arriving in France.
This exposure sharply contrasts with his quiet time at Real. Under Carlo Ancelotti and then Xabi Alonso, Endrick hardly ever got his chance. The Madrid club decided to loan him out so he could gain playing time and experience, a choice that sparks plenty of debate in Spain.
On the show El Larguero on Cadena SER, journalist Manuel Jabois commented on the young striker’s trajectory:
“Real isn’t Lyon, but many of us were calling for him to get more playing time in Madrid. Last year, he barely played.”
“On one hand, you think if Ancelotti and Xabi don’t count on him, it’s because he’s not convincing them in training. But when Gonzalo arrived, a real revelation, you wonder: ‘What about this guy, Endrick?’ We wanted to see more minutes from this player at the Bernabéu because, besides that, when he played, he did it really well,” he explained.
The journalist also highlighted the Brazilian’s enormous potential:
“It makes us a bit sad because this year he could have been used more. I can’t imagine he won’t come back at the end of the season. He has a cannon in his left leg, he fights, he stands out in duels, and I really have no damn idea why Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso left him out.”
