Paris Saint-Germain tried and failed to hijack Real Madrid's move for Palmeiras wonderkid Endrick, according to a report.
Hailed as one of the most promising talents on the globe right now, the 17-year-old has been making waves in the Palmeiras first team since becoming the youngest player to appear for the Brazilian giants.
The 2006-born attacker has already made 56 appearances for Palmeiras, recording 15 goals and two assists in the process, helping his team win the 2022 Brasileiro title and 2023 Supercopa do Brasil.
During the 2023 campaign, Endrick made five Copa Libertadores appearances as Palmeiras reached the semi-finals, while finding the back of the net nine times in 27 top-flight matches.
After making fleeting appearances for Brazil's Under-17s, Endrick earned his first senior call-up for this month's World Cup qualifiers with Colombia and Argentina, coming off the bench in both defeats.
© Reuters
The teenager's eye-catching exploits inevitably caught the eye of some of Europe's most esteemed clubs last year, but it was Real Madrid who won the race to prise him away from his homeland.
Endrick will officially join Los Blancos for €37.5m (£32.6m) on his 18th birthday in the summer of 2024, but it was not entirely smooth sailing for Carlo Ancelotti's side in negotiations.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano -via Spanish publication AS - PSG fought tooth and nail to complete a double swoop for Endrick and Estevao, a 16-year-old striker currently playing for Palmeiras' Under-20s.
Les Parisiens reportedly came forward with a mammoth bid of €93m (£80.8m) for both players - of which €58m (£50.4m) was for Endrick - while Palmeiras would have received €35m (£30.4m) for selling Estevao.
However, PSG's advances were rebuffed, as were the efforts of Premier League giants Chelsea, who apparently invited Endrick to tour their training facilities only to be told that he had his heart set on joining Real Madrid.
© Reuters
While Endrick's desire to join Real Madrid helped facilitate a move, Blancos chief scout Juni Calafat also played a key role in convincing the Brazil international to advance his fledgling career in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid have prided themselves on capturing the finest young talent on the market in recent times, also bringing Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler to the club during the most recent window.
Guler is yet to make his debut for Los Blancos due to injury, but Bellingham has been a revelation for Ancelotti's team, already netting 13 goals and setting up three more in 14 appearances.
The 20-year-old has been nursing a shoulder issue in recent weeks, but he made a full recovery during the international break and is in Ancelotti's squad for Sunday's La Liga clash with Cadiz.
