Erling Haaland almost helped Chelsea sign Endrick as Real Madrid transfer 'doubts' revealed

Erling Haaland almost helped Chelsea signed 17-year-old Brazilian Endrick, the player has revealed.

Endrick, who became the youngest player to be called up to the Brazil national team since Ronaldo Nazario, signed a €60 million deal with Real Madrid.

Los Blancos continue their knack of signing the best Brazilian talents, having acquired Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes in recent years.

The deal was sealed back in December 2022 but Endrick will not officially join up with Real until he turns 18 in July.

Real beat off competition from a number of elite clubs, with Chelsea well in the race.

According to the player's father, Douglas Ramos, Endrick travelled to Stamford Bridge to see the facilities an agreement was "closed".

However, it's said that Chelsea feared such a transfer would "inflate the market" because of the money involved.

Real was the Palmeiras prodigy's preference but their interest in both Haaland and Kylian Mbappe as a marquee addition meant a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu was anything but a formality.

Image: Getty

“At one point, there was a lot of talk about Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe for Madrid and that was when there was strong interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain,” Endrick told The Athletic.

“Of course, they are big and important teams. I am very interested in them and they would be excellent options. I was attracted by the Premier League, the city of London and the fact that English is the economically dominant language in the world. And obviously Chelsea is a strong brand that has won two Champions Leagues.

“I was told that it rains a lot in London, but that wouldn’t be a problem because, as my father used to say, I always liked playing in the rain. But I always made it clear to my agent that my dream was Real Madrid.”

Image: Getty

A Real source told The Athletic that the club "had some doubts" prior to president Florentino Perez giving his seal of approval.

Haaland went to Manchester City, while Mbappe remains with PSG despite the Real links being present.

After helping Palmeiras win the league, Endrick recently met up with his new teammates and has already began learning multiple languages ahead of his move.

Topics: Endrick, Erling Haaland, Chelsea, Premier League, Real Madrid

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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