Revealed: why Barcelona and Real Madrid might struggle to sign Brazilian wonderkid Endrick
FT Desk
- 3 Sept 2022 12:29 BST
- 3 min read
Brazilian sensation Endrick is in high demand, but Barcelona and Real Madrid could be frustrated in their attempts to sign the 16-year-old striker from Palmeiras.
The clubs on either side of La Liga's Clasico divide have done a brilliant job of scouting the Brazilian market over the years, with Real in particular impressing in recent seasons with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Endrick unsurprisingly caught the eye of the Spanish giants after scoring seven goals in seven games as Palmeiras won the Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior in January, but his current club have no intention to sell - and especially not to Spain.
15-year-old Endrick is wanted by Man Utd, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Remember. The. Name 🇧🇷pic.twitter.com/Ev8sXC9faW— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) April 18, 2022
"The issue is tax," report Brazilian press outlet Globo. "The Spanish Revenue charges a fee of 15 per cent on top of the gross value of transfers from Brazilian teams. Spain is the only country that charges this amount, and this practice has been going on for a few years.
A lower bid from England better
"Thus, if Real or Barça offer, for example, €50 million for Endrick, €7.5m would go to straight to Spanish Revenue services. It would be advantageous to accept a lower amount of €45m from a team in France or England."
Palmeiras already ran into this problem with Yerry Mina's move to Camp Nou in 2018. The Colombia centre-back- now of Everton - generated a €10m fee, but €1.5m of it was taxed by Spanish authorities.
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Endrick recently signed his first professional contract with Palmeiras, which runs until June 2025 and has a release clause of €60m. He doesn't turn 18 until 21 July 2024, so he can't leave Brazil until then anyway.
Endrick already has five goals in four outings with Brazil's under-16 team, and has already been called up to train with their under-20s. Full international recognition with the Selecao before a move to Europe seems likely.
Endrick is reportedly interested in a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid, but both sides will have to pay over the odds when it comes time to make any move a reality.
