The agent of Brazilian sensation Endrick has revealed which three English clubs tried to sign the teenager before Real Madrid snapped him up.
On Saturday the 18-year-old attacker is set to be unveiled as a Real Madrid player in-front of thousands of fans at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Despite his tender age, Endrick has been on the radar of clubs and fans alike for a few years now after making his senior debut for Brazilian giants Palmeiras at just 16 years of age.
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The youngster was so impressive that in December 2022, Real Madrid announced that Endrick would join the club in July 2024 once he had turned 18. The deal is reportedly worth around £52 million.
In Madrid Endrick will join a star-studded attack that already includes compatriots Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, English superstar Jude Bellingham and France striker Kylian Mbappe.
Yet according to his agent, he could have easily ended up at a Premier League club.
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Speaking to The Telegraph, Frederico Pena revealed that scouts from three top English sides travelled to France in 2022 to watch Endrick play at the Montaigu Tournament.
The youngster proved beyond doubt that he was capable of playing outside of Brazil, winning the player of the tournament award and scoring five goals in four games as Brazil won the competition for the first time since 1984.
"That was when the world really sat up and took notice,” said Pena.
"People in football already knew about him, but that’s when all of the top clubs came in, Manchester City, Liverpool, Paris St-Germain, Chelsea and, of course, Real Madrid."
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Of the three Premier League clubs, Chelsea pushed the hardest to sign Endrick, and at one stage looked to be his most likely destination ahead of Real Madrid.
In October 2022 the London club invited the teenager's parent to visit their Cobham training ground, where they met Thiago Silva, Jorginho and Cesar Azpilicueta.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea even found the family a local church that they could attend.
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However, negotiations stalled between Chelsea and Palmeiras as the former were reluctant to pay a significant fee for a player who wouldn't be able to play for them for another two years.
Madrid had made a similar deal with Pena to sign Vinicius Jr from Flamengo five years earlier, so the Spanish side stepped in and reached an agreement.
"I think Real decided that they were never going to miss another talent like Vini or Endrick after Neymar moved to Barcelona," said Pena.
"Maybe there is a lesson for Chelsea because they were in front at the start."
Topics: Real Madrid, Endrick, Chelsea, Premier League, Transfer News, Football
Alex Brotherton