Endrick weighs January exit from Real Madrid as Roma reignite interest

Endrick finds himself back at a crossroads he knows all too well. With only four minutes of La Liga action for Real Madrid this season and a new attacking rival rising fast, the Brazilian is looking once more toward the winter transfer window. Roma, who nearly signed him last summer, are back in the frame as the destination that could restore the game time he desperately needs.

• Endrick has played only four minutes in La Liga this season, against Elche.
• Mourinho convinced him to stay when a Roma loan was already sealed, but chances have not materialized.
• Carlos Espí has broken through with decisive goals and overtaken him in the attacking rotation.
• With Brazil he has clocked 110 minutes across two games against Australia, adding an assist.
• Roma are preparing a fresh push to sign the striker in January.

Why Endrick is struggling for minutes at Real Madrid

The season started poorly for the 20-year-old forward. A muscle injury sustained in preseason kept him out of the opening matches, and once he regained fitness he never managed to break into the team's rhythm. His only league appearance amounts to a brief cameo against Elche.

The attacking pecking order leaves little room for him. Mbappé absorbs nearly all the minutes in the forward line, while the remaining space has become far more competitive than expected. For Endrick, finding his way into that rotation has grown increasingly difficult.

How Carlos Espí changed the attacking picture

The rise of Carlos Espí has reshuffled the hierarchy inside the dressing room. The academy product has delivered crucial goals against Espanyol and Elche, both in the dying minutes, and that output has earned him a standing Endrick has been unable to match. He is no longer just a token option: he now carries real weight in the squad.

That backdrop is forcing the Brazilian to reassess his situation. What he is living through now feels a lot like what he endured last season, when he also watched games from a secondary role. The difference is that back then he found an exit that reignited his form, and that door is once again open.

Endrick's contrast between Madrid and Brazil

While his time at Madrid is measured in single-digit minutes, his life with Brazil tells a different story. Ancelotti has leaned on him during the international break, granting him a level of responsibility he simply does not have at club level. He accumulated 110 minutes across two friendlies against Australia, dwarfing his entire season with Real Madrid.

In the first of those matches he scored a goal that was eventually disallowed; in the second he provided an assist. The numbers are not spectacular, but they represent exactly what he is looking for: involvement, consistency, and the chance to show he remains a striker capable of making the difference. That contrast weighs heavier on his mind with each passing week.

The Lyon precedent: a loan that revived his form

The solution he found a year ago serves as a mirror for what could come next. Endrick left on loan to Lyon in the second half of last season and rediscovered in France what he had lost. He featured in 21 matches, scored eight goals and delivered five assists, a return that helped him recover his status within the Brazilian national setup ahead of the World Cup.

That experience taught him that a well-chosen loan is not a backward step, but a platform to relaunch a career that risked stalling at the Bernabéu. January, therefore, becomes a window that could once again change his trajectory.

Roma keep pushing and Mourinho blocked a move once before

The deal was practically sealed, but Mourinho's intervention changed the scenario.

The Serie A side have not forgotten about the Brazilian. Last summer they had the loan move almost wrapped up, and only a direct intervention from the Portuguese coach prevented Endrick from heading to Italy. Mourinho convinced him to stay with the promise of a genuine fight for a place, and the player accepted because his priority remains succeeding in a white shirt.

The reality, months later, has turned out very different. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Roma are readying a new offensive to land him in the winter market, and this time the player's position is not as solid as it was in the summer. He is in no rush to leave nor willing to give up his Madrid dream, but the Nico Paz case has forced him to see his own situation with fresh eyes.

A decisive January for the Brazilian's future

The next few weeks will determine how this story ends. Endrick needs minutes to keep alive a development curve that remains active with Brazil but has stalled in Madrid. He wants to succeed at Real Madrid, but he also understands that his growth cannot afford another blank season. Roma are waiting, and the final decision could arrive very soon.