It's nearly the end of a frankly underwhelming October for Endrick . The €47,500,000 signing from Palmeiras, who was supposed to be the future of Real Madrid , has yet to get a single minute of football under Xabi Alonso.
The 18-year-old has just sat on the bench for the club’s first games this season.
It’s causing a bit of concern among the Madrid fans who were expecting a big breakthrough from Endrick in his second full season in Spain. But instead, the reason his name is coming up in the media is about whether the club’s big plans for him have stalled before they’ve even gotten off the ground.
Recent reports have only made the fans more worried. According to Fabrizio Romano, Endrick is having talks with Olympique Lyon about a potential January transfer to the French club in 2026.
The idea is to get him playing regularly while letting Real Madrid keep hold of him, even though technically they’d be sending him out on loan for 6 months.
Xabi Alonso addresses Endrick’s absence
When asked on Friday about Endrick’s limited involvement, Xabi Alonso gave a measured but revealing answer:
The statement confirmed what supporters had feared. That the teenager’s lack of playing time is not an accident, but rather has been intentional.
Endrick’s stats:
- Minutes played in 2025–26: 0
- Appearances in squad lists: 8 matches (8 times on bench)
- Preseason form: ruled out of the entire 2025 preseason while recovering from his injury
- Market value: €35 million (Transfermarkt, Oct 2025)
With just a few months left until the 2026 World Cup, Endrick has a big decision to make. A short-term loan could give him the minutes he’s looking for, but both clubs will have to agree on how to split for his €350,000 monthly salary.
A six-month loan, so that Madrid continues to pay part of the wages, seems like a suitable plan that could work well for all parties.
In Real Madrid’s 2025–26 season, it appears that Xabi Alonso’s use of forwards limits the ability for the young Brazilian to play. The important attacking forwards Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo are essentially starting every match, along with some other attacking options like Gonzalo García.
Because Endrick has only just recovered from a hamstring injury, and the quality and depth of these established forwards limit the time play of Endrick plays. This seems to logically answer the question of why the younger player has not had the chance to impact any of the competitive matches.
Still though, it seems like Alonso could easily give him a few minutes to show what the kid can do. Even short appearances here and there could help Endrick build the confidence he needs- and all of us football fans want to see what he can do. Especially after his first promising season with an average of 1 goal every 121 minutes.