How Chelsea missed out on Brazil wonderkid Endrick

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 24 Mar 2024 09:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Brazil's England slayer Endrick will join Real Madrid from Palmeiras at the end of the season, but he could so easily have been lining up for Chelsea instead.

Endrick got the only goal of the game as Brazil beat England at Wembley on Saturday, the 17-year-old bagging his first international goal in his third appearance for the Selecao.

Despite his tender years, Endrick has already fired Palmeiras to back-to-back Brazilian Serie A titles, and Real have reportedly agreed to pay €60 million for his services.

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But Endrick's entourage had previously visited Chelsea's Cobham training ground, and now the forward's agent Frederico Pena has now revealed why the Blues missed out on him.

'A lesson for Chelsea

"I think Real decided that they were never going to miss another talent like Vini [Jr.] or Endrick after Neymar moved to Barcelona [in 2013]," he explained to The Telegraph's Matt Law. "Maybe there is a lesson for Chelsea because they were in front at the start.

"The boy's parents visited Cobham and were impressed, but Chelsea were worried about the fee and then when Real came in and were prepared to pay what Palmeiras wanted, it became almost impossible for them."

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Chelsea have spent more than £1 billion on players since Todd Boehly took control of the club in 2022, and missing out on Endrick will prove to folly if he fulfils his potential at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Florentino Perez had a couple of aces up his sleeve, however.

"All his father wanted for him was to be a footballer and to play for Real Madrid, so that was huge for him," Pena continued. "Vini was also able to speak with him and tell him about his own experiences and offer some reassurances."

As well as Vinicius, Endrick will be joined by fellow Brazil internationals Rodrygo and Eder Militao in the Spanish capital next season.