Chelsea were keen to reach an agreement for a new striker last year, and a reliable journalist has revealed that chiefs held a meeting with his family to discuss a move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea's summer arrivals
Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino recruited 12 fresh faces over the summer all on a permanent basis, with some of the biggest names to walk through the doors being the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson just to name a few.
The Blues may have had a complete squad transformation, but that hasn’t stopped them from making a disappointing start to the new season having won four, drawn four and lost four of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves 10th in the Premier League table.
The Stamford Bridge outfit will no doubt have had targets who they failed to secure during previous transfer windows, and one of those appears to be Palmeiras striker Endrick who has established himself as Abel Ferreira’s best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Palmeiras stats).
The Brazil international has already agreed to join Real Madrid next summer with Carlo Ancelott’s side acting fast to get a deal over the line, but if the following update is to be believed, the 17-year-old could well have been on his way to SW6 had things have turned out differently.
Chelsea held talks over deal for Endrick
Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Chelsea held a meeting with Endrick's family regarding a move, but in the end, his heart was set on a switch to the Bernabeu Stadium.
He wrote: “Endrick deal background story… PSG had €93m [£81m] package bid rejected for both Estevao and Endrick. Chelsea invited Endrick’s family to London to present their project. Real Madrid’s Juni Calafat, key to make it happen.”
Boehly could have landed "phenomenon" in Endrick
Whilst Chelsea have missed out on Endrick, Pochettino will know that he could have had an extraordinary talent on his hands in the capital, with the centre-forward having posted 26 contributions, 24 goals and two assists, in 70 appearances since the start of his career (Transfermarkt – Endrick stats).
The Taguatinga native also currently ranks in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons (FBRef – Endrick statistics), highlighting his ability to use his pace, dribble past his marker and create as many chances as possible for himself and his teammates in the final third.
Indirect set-piece threat
Likes to dribble
Gets fouled often
Sponsored by Nike, the left-footed teenager is additionally a versatile operator having been utilised in four various positions over the pitch following his arrival on the professional scene, including three across the frontline and one in the midfield.
According to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Endrick is a “phenomenon” for his age and he has an extremely bright future ahead of him, so it may prove to be a real shame that the Blues failed to secure the signature of their target who is a real up-and-coming prospect.