The 19-year-old hasn’t quite lived up to the hype that saw Real Madrid splash a reported €72 million to sign him from Brazilian side Palmeiras last summer, but limited opportunities under Carlo Ancelotti and now Xabi Alonso haven’t helped.
It’s almost impossible for anyone that age to come off the bench with the game dead and effect it to such a degree they get a start over the likes of Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Jr, two bonafide superstars.
So, it’s looking like Endrick has decided to leave on loan, with Lyon all but confirmed as the destination by Fabrizio Romano. Here is why it’s a move that makes sense for all parties.
Not as much competition at Lyon
The biggest thing keeping Endrick out of the team at Real Madrid is the ridiculous amount of talent he has ahead of him. The Brazilian is a number nine, but with Mbappe on 19 goals in 19 games across all competitions, there is no chance he’s getting in ahead of the Frenchman.
This summer’s FIFA Club World Cup would have been a fantastic opportunity for Endrick to get some minutes, with Mbappe out for most of it. Unfortunately for the youngster, he was also injured, and Gonzalo Garcia moved ahead of him with some fine performances.
Endrick would have no such issues at Lyon. So long as he doesn’t mess it up, the Brazilian will be their first-choice striker by some margin, with their current first choice Martin Satriano on just one goal from his ten games.
Rachid Ghezzal has played there on occasion, but he’s more of a right winger, and a muscle injury picked up in the 3-2 defeat to PSG has ruled him out for an as of yet undisclosed amount of time.
Endrick’s main reason for wanting to leave on loan in next summer’s World Cup. He hasn’t feature in any of Ancelotti’s squad since the Italian took over, he will have every opportunity to impress while at Lyon.
An unlikely title challenge?
After a long 2024-25 and little time to recover over the summer due to the Club World Cup, PSG aren’t looking like they’ll run away with the title, in fact a number of challengers seem to be stepping up to give them a run of their money.
Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille are the most likely and will, temporarily at least, go top of Ligue 1 if they beat Nice on Friday, with PSG set to play Le Havre on Saturday. It should be nothing less than a routine win for Luis Enrique’s side.
Beyond Marseille, Lens, Strasbourg, Lille, and Monaco round off the top six, with eight points separating sixth from first, should Marseille beat Nice. Lyon are currently in seventh on 20 points, the same as Lille and Monaco.
Lyon’s biggest issue so far this season has been putting the ball in the back of the net. That’s obviously an oversimplification, but they’ve only managed to score 18 goals, the least of all the mentioned teams.
They create a good number of chances, however, ranking seventh in terms of ‘big chacnes’ with 33, and the same goes for their xG, which is at 19.6. They also have a healthy number of touches in the opposition box, with 266 from their 12 games.
Having someone who could get into the right positions and be more clinical with the chances they produce, could tip the scales in their favour and Lyon would find themselves climbing the table.
Verdict
What Endrick needs more than anything is minutes. Lyon are a top European side that would not only give him that but allow him to flourish without the pressure he would have at Real Madrid or a Premier League side.
This move feels like a smart one for everyone involved.