Real Madrid rejected January approach from Ligue 1 club for teenage prodigy | OneFootball

Endrick has not had it easy in his debut season at Real Madrid. Having made the switch from Palmeiras last summer, the 18-year-old has found minutes hard to come by under Carlo Ancelotti.

So far, Endrick has played only 400 minutes across 22 matches in all competitions, chipping in with five goals and an assist.

Given his lack of regular game-time, speculations were rife about a possible loan exit in January, with several clubs interested.

West Ham United, for one, wanted Endrick on loan but were turned down by Real Madrid. Now, as it turns out that the 18-year-old also had suitors from France as well.

Marseille wanted Endrick

Indeed, according to L’Equipe (h/t AS), Marseille, in search of a striker to strengthen their forward line, reached out to Real Madrid this winter regarding Brazilian talent Endrick. However, their attempts were met with a firm refusal.

The Ligue 1 club, in need of a centre-forward following the transfer of Elye Wahi to Eintracht Frankfurt, made initial contact with the player’s agents to explore the possibility of signing him.

Marseille wanted Endrick in the winter. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Both Marseille’s sporting director, Mohamed Benatia, and president Pablo Longoria had evaluated Endrick’s profile. The explosive forward has already shown glimpses of his potential at Real Madrid this season.

Although still adapting to European football and not yet enjoying the full trust of coach Carlo Ancelotti, Marseille considered the possibility of a loan move to allow him to gain more experience in Europe.

Unfortunately for Marseille, this enquiry went nowhere, as Real Madrid had no intention of parting with the young Brazilian at this time.

However, both Endrick and Real Madrid were determined to stand firm on their positions. The player’s ambition is to succeed at the Spanish capital club, and the club itself made it clear that they had no plans to let him go.