Real Madrid and Barcelona set to miss out on Endrick

FT Desk

• 25 Oct 2022 20:00 BST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid and Barcelona have been at the front of the queue to sign Brazilian teen sensation Endrick, but the La Liga giants now look set to be disappointed.

The ears of European football's biggest clubs first pricked up about Endrick in January when he fired Palmeiras to the Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior with seven goals in as many games.

The striker, who scored 165 goals in 169 games for Palmeiras' youth teams, was then handed his full debut earlier this month, just two weeks past his 16th birthday, as the Verdao beat Coritiba 4-0 in Brazil's Serie A.

Real and Barca have a stumbling block when it comes to signing Selecao starlets, with the Spanish tax man slapping a 15 per cent fee on the gross value of transfers from Brazilian teams. Neither club can sign Endrick until July 2024 when he turns 18 either.

But the real problem is that they are being outmuscled by Paris Saint-Germain.

Campos in talks

"In the coming weeks, the presence of [PSG sporting director] Luis Campos, adviser to Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, is expected in Sao Paulo to definitively conclude the signing of the No.9," report Spanish daily, Sport.

"The president of [Palmeiras], Leila Pereira, rejected the first offer of €20 million from Qatar Sports Investments, valuing the 16-year-old striker at '35 kilos in cash'."

It is thought that Palmeiras would accept €35m for the prodigious attacker, but only if the fee was received in one, upfront payment.

This is a number that doesn't daunt PSG, but Barca were hoping to structure a deal with instalments due to the financial impact of their imminent exit from the Champions League.

Real are in a better financial position than Barcelona, and have a recent track record of honing young Brazilian attackers like Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, but it seems PSG are ready to win this particular race.