Real Madrid wonderkid goes 12 games without a goal

Stuart Telford

• 21 Mar 2023 11:53 CDT
• 3 min read

Brazilian prodigy Endrick, bound for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, has now gone 12 games without a goal for Palmeiras.

Real Madrid beat Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and others to Endrick's signature, with the young striker now set to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2024 when he turns 18.

Real agreed a cool €72 million transfer fee with Palmeiras, with significant excitement around a 16-year-old who remains Palmeiras' youngest ever player and the Brazilian top flight's second-youngest goalscorer.

READ: Barcelona enlist Deco's help to sign next Endrick

But the goals have started to dry up. Endrick's last strike coming in a 4-0 win over Fortaleza in November.

The youngster was even moved to tears after being subbed off in Palmeiras' 2-0 win over Red Bull Bragantino in February.

'Tremendous pressure'

"It's true, he covered his face because he cried," head coach Abel Ferreira confirmed after the game.

"He has to be calm. Nobody likes criticism. There's tremendous pressure on him to score five or six goals and he's trying to deal with it himself. The goal will come at the right time. You just have to be calm and keep smiling."

READ: Is Endrick really worth €72m and no Erling Haaland?!

Endrick's goal-drought, despite his youth, is understandably a cause for concern for Madrid.

The Brazilian reportedly only agree to join Real if there was not a world class No.9 in place, blocking his path to the first team, putting a dent in Erling Haaland's hopes of becoming the next modern-day Galactico.

Real's incumbent in the position is, of course, Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d'Or in October but has been dogged by injury since.

Benzema is set to sign a one-year extension with los Blancos, but the club are looking at options to support the Frenchman in the autumn of his career, with Richarlison and Romelu Lukaku among those linked of late.

If one of those signed and then thrived, Endrick could find himself playing for the club's youth team, Real Madrid Castilla, for longer than he might have hoped.