Endrick's Real Madrid Future Uncertain as Milan and Roma Eye January Transfer

Endrick walked off the pitch at the Bernabéu last week looking every inch the rising star Real Madrid thought they had secured. A goal, an assist, and a Champions League tie against Roma flipped on its head after his introduction. A 4-3 comeback, lit up by a 20-year-old who seemed to grab the night by the collar.

Yet as El Clasico looms, he is staring at the bench again.

According to Spanish outlet Marca, Endrick could leave Real Madrid in the January transfer window, with AC Milan and Roma both keen to prise him away from the Spanish capital. Not permanently, at least not yet, but the prospect of a winter move is growing louder with every game he watches rather than plays.

From match-winner to spectator

The problem is not his talent. It is the traffic ahead of him.

Real Madrid are loaded with attacking options, and Endrick has struggled to carve out a regular place in Jose Mourinho’s first-team plans. This season in La Liga, the Brazilian has managed only two appearances. For a 20-year-old forward with his reputation and ambition, that number speaks louder than any highlight reel.

His situation already drew interest from several clubs in the summer. Milan and Roma were among those monitoring him, but Mourinho shut the door on any exit. The Portuguese coach was against sanctioning a departure, convinced he could manage Endrick’s development inside a stacked squad.

Then came that Champions League night against Roma. Thrown on in the second half, Endrick changed the game. One goal, one assist, and Madrid roared back from behind to win 4-3. It was the kind of performance that usually forces a manager’s hand.

He was rewarded with a start in the following La Liga match against Sevilla. This was his chance to turn a cameo into a run of games. This time, though, there was no goal, no decisive moment, no repeat of the European heroics.

The momentum stalled.

In midweek against RB Leipzig, his role shrank again. Just two minutes on the pitch. Barely enough time to break sweat, let alone build a case.

Mourinho’s pecking order and a growing dilemma

All signs point to another watching brief on Sunday. Endrick is expected to start on the bench in El Clasico, with Mourinho preferring Yan Diomande and Arda Guler on the wings. In a fixture that defines seasons and shapes careers, the Brazilian may again be reduced to a late option.

For a player at this stage of his career, the pattern is becoming hard to ignore. When he did leave last season, on loan to Lyon for the second half of the campaign, he responded with eight goals in 21 appearances. Regular minutes, clear responsibility, and the numbers followed.

Clubs have noticed.

Roma, having felt his impact first-hand in the Champions League, are alive to the possibility of a deal. Milan, always alert to young attacking talent, are also in the frame. Both see the same thing: a gifted forward stuck behind established names, one who could transform their attack without the long-term financial gamble of a permanent transfer.

For Madrid, a temporary move is firmly on the table. The idea is simple: let him play, let him grow, then bring back a sharper, more seasoned version. But every loan carries a risk. Once a young player tastes being the main man, the bench feels even colder when he returns.

Endrick’s next decision will say plenty about how he sees his own trajectory. Stay and fight for a place under Mourinho, knowing the pecking order is stacked against him right now? Or push for a January move where his name is inked into the team sheet rather than pencilled in as an afterthought?

January is not far away. If his minutes do not rise, the answer may come quickly.