Four minutes. That is the sum of Endrick’s playing time under Jose Mourinho this season, a single late cameo against Elche with no goal and no assist. It has not stopped the suitors forming an orderly line, and it has not changed the manager’s answer either.

Speaking to TNT Sports Brasil, Mourinho told interested clubs to “forget it”.

“He is a player that I really like, a player that I think has lots of potential and is very important for us,” Mourinho told the Brazilian broadcaster.

“Whoever is interested in him is going to have to fight very hard with me, because I don’t believe that he needs to go out on loan and that he will be a huge success here.”

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Villa lead a crowded field

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have emerged as the frontrunner for the 20-year-old, with the Birmingham club’s Champions League participation cited as a key draw. Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham, Roma, AC Milan and Endrick’s former loan club Lyon are also in the mix according to recent reports.

The pecking order at the Santiago Bernabéu explains the appetite elsewhere. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Junior, Brahim Díaz, Carlos Espi and, once fully fit again, Rodrygo are all ahead of him in the attacking rotation. A pre-season thigh problem has not helped, and Mourinho has acknowledged that Endrick came close to appearing in last Saturday’s 1-0 win over Villarreal before a tactical reshuffle at ten men kept him on the bench.

One La Liga goal since the €47.5m move

Endrick arrived from Palmeiras in 2024 for €47.5m with the “next big thing” tag firmly attached. Twenty-four La Liga appearances later he has one league goal to his name. A half-season on loan at Lyon in the second half of 2025-26, with eight goals and eight assists in 21 games under Paulo Fonseca, restored enough of his stock to earn him a place in Brazil’s World Cup squad.

Mourinho has said he spoke with Endrick directly about his situation, and Endrick himself has reportedly indicated to AC Milan that they would be his first-choice destination should he be allowed to move. His Real Madrid contract runs to 2030. The January window opens on 1 January 2027.

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