Roma’s search for attacking quality has led them to Endrick, with the Brazilian’s shortage of minutes at Real Madrid giving the Giallorossi a possible opening ahead of January. The club have been working on the idea since the summer and believe a loan could offer the 20-year-old the playing time he needs, while giving Gian Piero Gasperini another gifted option in the final third.
Key takeaways
- Roma have made Endrick a priority for the January window after monitoring him since last summer.
- The forward has played only four minutes for Real Madrid at the start of this season.
- Endrick and his father are both open to a move to the capital, where Wesley is already part of the Roma squad.
- Real Madrid are increasingly considering a loan in order to protect the player’s development and value.
- Milan have also approached Florentino Perez, but Roma have spent longer building their case with the player.
A route back to regular football
For Endrick, the central issue is not status but playing time. His early months of the campaign in Madrid have brought only four minutes on the pitch, a return far removed from what the forward and those close to him had expected.
Carlo Ancelotti has previously identified the difficulty facing young Brazilian players who reach Europe’s biggest clubs too early. In his view, they cannot progress if they arrive at 18 and then remain out of the team: without matches, improvement stalls. Endrick’s present situation has sharpened that concern at Real Madrid, where a temporary departure is now being examined as a way of ensuring that his talent does not stand still.
He has at least found a measure of confidence again with Brazil, featuring in two matches against Australia and returning to an environment in which he could feel involved. His previous season at Lyon had also given him continuity, eventually earning him a World Cup call-up.
His father Douglas Ramos has made clear how important that sense of involvement is for the family. He said that France had restored Endrick’s happiness, while Madrid had taken away his place on the field. The message behind Roma’s interest is therefore straightforward: the player wants minutes, growth and a leading role rather than another period of waiting.
Roma’s January plan
Roma see Endrick as more than a speculative market opportunity. Sporting director D’Amico considers him a significant possible addition for January, one capable of adding technique, talent and longer-term potential to Gasperini’s attack.
The player has already spoken to friends about Roma as a genuine possibility, and the presence of fellow Brazilian Wesley has helped make the destination feel familiar. The club also have the approval of Douglas Ramos, who wants to see his son become a regular protagonist again.
Milan have taken concrete steps with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, drawing on an established relationship with the Spanish club. Yet Roma’s advantage lies in the work already done around the player and the positive response they have received from his camp.
There is still distance to January, and no agreement has been reached. Roma, however, have not stepped away from the conversation. D’Amico is maintaining contact while preparing for a possible acceleration, with the prospect of a loan increasingly relevant if Madrid decide Endrick’s development requires a different setting.
The coming fortnight could bring another occasion for discussion at the Olimpico, when Mourinho’s Real Madrid are due to face Roma. For the Giallorossi, Endrick represents a possible winter chapter in a season shaped by the need to give Gasperini greater depth and imagination up front; for the player, it could be a route back to the football he has been missing.
