Endrick to Lyon: Ligue 1 Transfer News & Potential Impact

We will obviously have to wait to find out if it is a masterstroke. But on paper, it’s very attractive. Lyon will attract Endrick, who will be loaned to the banks of the Rhône. So of course, there is a vagueness. And not the least. If he dreams of getting back on track to play in the World Cup, the young Brazilian striker is coming out of a first part of the season that was as disappointing as it was frustrating. Injured in the hamstring, which deprived him of the Club World Cup, the pre-season or even the first matches of the season, the former Palmeiras prodigy never entered into Xabi Alonso’s plans.

For weeks, his counter remained stuck at zero minutes this season. And in the end, the 19-year-old striker will have only played 99 minutes in three appearances since the start of this exercise. Obviously, this casts a veil over his ability to have an impact with OL where he will fill the absence of a real new player. But there are a few signs that suggest that Les Gones were not wrong either. His furtive appearances with Real already this season. Despite the disappointment of not having the chance to shine with the Merengue, the ex-jewel of Palmeiras indeed showed himself when he had the opportunity.

Marca: “He will leave in January. Maybe we should review our position“

Against Manchester City in the Champions League during a shock where Real had to do without Kylian Mbappé, Endrick took advantage of the 11 minutes he spent on the pitch to find the bar. That evening, he demonstrated that he “could do a lot with few means” says the daily As. And when he was entitled to 77 minutes against Talavera in the Copa del Rey on December 17 (editor’s note: 3-2 victory), he was the “most active” and “best” player according to Marca, despite the presence of Kylian Mbappé, Arda Gûler or even Franco Mastantuono. “He played very well despite the fact that he knows that his future lies far from Real Madrid. (…) He sowed discord with his incessant races,” added the other Madrid newspaper As.

His exit was “unfair. He played better than Gonzalo (Garcia). And it looks like he’ll be the one leaving in January. Maybe we should reconsider our position“, Marca even wrote in its match notes. Enough to say that Lyon is not going to recover an out-of-form player after months without regular meetings. “He is very sharp” had also conceded Xabi Alonso in As after his last appearance in the Copa del Rey, an event where he had blazed last season with five goals in six appearances, while his first season at Real was disappointing overall (editor’s note: 7 goals in 37 games).

Endrick in the Brazil jersey

Credit: Getty Images

Gabigol: “He’s one of my favorite players to watch play.”

In any case, we must remember that we are only talking about a 19-year-old player, who found himself in the biggest club in the world with a certain Kylian Mbappé as a competitor for the center forward position. And in Brazil, we remain convinced that it is indeed a phenomenon. Last week, Gabigol also praised his young compatriot again despite his situation at Real, or the fact that he has not been called up for the selection since last March.

“You know who I have high hopes for? Endricklaunched the former Inter and Brazil striker in the PodPah podcast. I’m a huge fan. (…) It’s his way of doing things that I appreciate the most. We never see him demotivated, he always thinks about the next day. He’s going to Lyon and he’s going to tear it up, you can see it in his eyes. He’s one of the players I enjoy watching the most. I think he’s going to the World Cup, he has to go, I’m a big fan“.

An opinion shared by many Brazilians. Because if Endrick did not manage to establish himself at Real Madrid, he left his mark on the country of football. Endowed with rare physical qualities from a very young age, the future player of Les Gones, who has 14 elections (3 goals), very quickly presented exceptional power to resist rough defenders despite his meter seventy-one in order to establish himself as a professional. And his sense of finishing with his devastating left foot allowed him to stand out.

Endrick must wait on the Real Madrid bench

Credit: Getty Images

Neymar, Ronaldo, Pelé: he matched them all in different ways

Launched at the age of 16 with Palmeiras, the star won two Brazilian championship titles. And he has contributed to it as evidenced by his 11 goals in 31 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A, in 2022-23. Which allowed him to become the first player to reach such a total before turning 18 in Brazil since 2009 and a certain Neymar (10 goals with Santos). And behind that, he has continued to add his name to that of illustrious stars from Auvergne. Judge sooner: in November 2023, he became the youngest called up for the Brazilian selection since Ronaldo in 1994. And by scoring in three matches in a row with the Seleção from March to June 2024, the new Brazilian phenomenon equaled Pelé, the last to have achieved such a feat before turning 18.

That definitely classifies you as a player. And at the time, the praise was piling up as much as the comparisons. “Endrick is impressive, he is very strong and talented. He reminds me of Adriano“, launched Richarlison, the Tottenham center forward, in 2023. A comparison shared by Zé Roberto, the former Auriverde international. And it is obviously no coincidence that Real recruited him when he only had seven professional matches in his legs. In Lyon, Endrick therefore wants to return to the path of these crazy beginnings. And in Brazil, many of them will follow this very closely. Because many believe strongly in him and dream of seeing him at the World Cup.