Liverpool's Pursuit of Endrick Rejected by Real Madrid

Liverpool’s search for firepower has stretched all the way to Madrid – and hit a hard stop.

With the club determined to bring in two new wingers before the window closes, the recruitment team has also tested the waters for a centre-forward, sounding out Real Madrid over Brazilian teenager Endrick. The answer from the Bernabéu was blunt.

No chance.

Wide targets stall, plan shifts

Liverpool’s summer blueprint is clear: two wingers through the door. Bradley Barcola is the headline act on that list. The PSG forward has already agreed personal terms, and Liverpool see him as a priority signing.

For weeks, it looked like Barcola’s teammate Ibrahim Mbaye would follow the same path. He too has an agreement in place with Liverpool, but the deal has hit a wall. PSG’s €70m price tag has turned the move into a stand-off, with Liverpool – under Andoni Iraola and FSG’s guidance – unwilling to go beyond €50m.

That resistance has forced a pivot.

Attention has swung to Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, now viewed as the preferred partner to Barcola in Liverpool’s ideal scenario. Two bids have already gone in, the latest reaching £60m. Brighton have held their ground, but Minteh has agreed personal terms with Liverpool, and sources expect a third offer in the region of £65m–£70m could finally crack Brighton’s resolve.

While those negotiations play out on the flanks, Liverpool have been probing a different market altogether.

Endrick enquiry shut down

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Liverpool recently contacted Real Madrid to explore a deal for Endrick, who only arrived in Spain this year after his move from Palmeiras.

They were not alone. Romano detailed how Roma and AC Milan had already spoken to the player’s camp to gauge the possibility of a loan. Aston Villa also made an approach around two weeks ago. Each time, Real Madrid’s stance was identical.

No chance. No doors open for Endrick.

Liverpool pushed the conversation further. They asked about a loan with a buy option, and even a permanent transfer built around a substantial proposal. It was an attempt to test Madrid’s resolve, to see if there was any scenario in which they would cash in or at least park the Brazilian elsewhere for a season.

The answer, again, was firm.

Romano made it clear that this came directly from the top: president Florentino Perez and head coach Jose Mourinho have decided Endrick stays. He is part of their plans now, not a development piece to be shipped out.

For Liverpool, that closes one avenue as they juggle their attacking options.

Madrid’s stance – for now

Real Madrid’s position is absolute “as of today,” in Romano’s words. They want Endrick in their squad, wearing the number nine shirt, fighting for minutes and for his place in the hierarchy.

There is, however, a small crack in the door later down the line.

Romano added that if Endrick is not playing regularly by the end of December – around Christmas – a loan could be reconsidered, similar to his spell at Lyon last season. That would reopen the conversation for interested clubs, potentially including Liverpool, Roma, Milan and Aston Villa, who have all already made their interest known in different ways.

For now, though, Liverpool must look elsewhere. The club continues to push for Barcola and Minteh, while Alexander Isak remains Iraola’s only fit senior striker as Hugo Ekitike recovers from a ruptured Achilles and faces a wait until around the turn of the year.

Liverpool have made their move for Endrick and been turned away. If the Brazilian is still on the fringes in Madrid by January, will they dare to knock again?