‘Talks taking place’ - Man United must sign wonderkid who idolises Bobby Charlton amid West Ham interest
One of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football is thought to be attracting interest from Man Utd
Real Madrid wonderkid Endrick is expected to be made available in the January transfer window.
Fabrizio Romano says the Brazilian wonderkid has already held talks over leaving the Bernabeu in the winter as he aims to stake a claim to play at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Endrick, 19, agreed to join Real Madrid in December 2022 after standing out as a real talent for Sao Paulo-based side Palmeiras. He was still only 16-years-old when the deal was confirmed, meaning he’d spent 18 more months learning the ropes with his local team before joining Real Madrid officially in July 2024.
His performances have drawn comparisons with legendary Brazilian strikers Ronaldo, Pelé and Romário. However, he claimed that he actually idolised Manchester United great Bobby Charlton growing up despite the forward retiring in 1980 - 26 years before Endrick was born.
He said after scoring for Brazil against England: “I am a fan of Bobby Charlton’s, he played a lot in this stadium. To play and score at a stadium where he scored so many goals is very important to me.”
When memes exploded on Brazilian social media featuring the striker as a fan of antiques, Endrick went quiet about it. With many doubting if he was being truthful or pandering to an international audience. However, he’s also reiterated the fact that Charlton is one of his favourite players in an interview with a social media influencer.
Endrick’s availability has naturally attracted interest from a number of clubs, including the Red Devils, who could benefit greatly from a quality youngster that has a surprising affinity with a club icon.
Endrick’s rise to prominence
Endrick became a childhood superstar at the age of 16. According to reports in Brazil, he’d scored 165 goals in 169 games for Palmeiras across various youth teams, while he’d also made an impression for the national team by scoring 5 in four appearances for the Under-17s.
All this had happened before Endrick even made his professional debut. At Palmeiras, he scored a total of 21 in 82 matches - playing mainly as a forward but also at times on the wing.
He broke into the Brazil setup in 2023 and scored in three consecutive matches against England, Spain and Mexico in 2024. He’s played a combined total of 14 times for his country but has only featured once this calendar year.
Endrick since joining Real Madrid has played 37 times, scoring seven and producing one assist. However, he’s started just seven matches and is yet to feature once across all competitions under Xabi Alonso after returning from a hamstring injury.
Why Man Utd should be looking to sign Endrick
Endrick is very much a work in progress at 19-years-of-age, but it’s clear to see that he’s an exceptionally talented footballer that simply needs time to play regularly.
Manchester United have one natural centre forward in their squad in the form of Benjamin Sesko. However, they lack any sort of depth behind him with the exception of Joshua Zirkzee, who is still working out his best position at Old Trafford.
Zirkzee mainly played as a No.10 at Bologna and it seems inevitable that over time that will become his more likely position as he competes with the likes of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for a starting spot.
Meanwhile, Endrick has the characteristics to be a centre forward while also having a very different skill set to Sesko. He’s someone that plays on the shoulder of the defender, is technically gifted and composed in front of goal. When given a run of games for Madrid, most notably in the Copa del Rey, he scored in four of the five matches he started, with all of his strikes coming against top-tier opposition.
The Express understand United are eyeing a potential winter move for Endrick. West Ham have also been linked with the player, but in this instance United should try and use their pulling power to their advantage to get their hands on a youngster that idolises Bobby Charlton. It appears to be a risk free loan opportunity at this stage that could help restore United into European contention.