Real Madrid, PSG, Chelsea 'battling for Palmeiras starlet Endrick'

The 16-year-old is regarded as one of the most promising talents in world football, having now established himself in the first team for the Brasileiro club.

After starting the 2022 season with six goals from seven Copinha appearances at Under-20 level, Endrick has since made five Serie A appearances for Palmeiras.

The attacker has scored three goals and set up one more in that short space of time, and he also has five goals to show from four games for Brazil's Under-17 side.

Endrick signed his first professional contract with Palmeiras in the summer, and he is tied to the Brazilian giants until 2025, but interest in his services is unsurprisingly growing.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid, PSG and Chelsea are the three clubs who have shown the most significant interest in signing Endrick recently.

Romano adds that Palmeiras are yet to be presented with an official offer for the 16-year-old, but it will not be long before a bid from an interested party is tabled.

Endrick's contract with Palmeiras reportedly includes a release clause of €60m (£52.3m), and any transfer that takes place would not occur until 2024 as he continues to ply his trade in his homeland.

Romano also spoke with Endrick's father Douglas Sousa about his son's future, but he has affirmed that a decision is yet to be made, and the sporting project will be as important to the teenager as the transfer fee.

"There's nothing decided for Real Madrid or any other club. We've no preference yet," Douglas told Romano. "We'll decide in the next months, the club that will pay what Palmeiras want and show us the best technical project for Endrick, will sign the boy."

Endrick's efforts have helped Palmeiras seal the 2022 Serie A title with three games to spare, as they sit on 77 points from 35 games in the ongoing season.

As well as PSG, Chelsea and Real Madrid, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal have been linked with a move for Endrick, and Gilberto Silva believes that the Gunners' Brazilian connections could help engineer a move for the highly-rated attacker.

"We know the importance in football of being well-connected, to people, clubs, sporting directors, presidents of the club. This is how things happen," Silva told Metro, referring to Arsenal's technical director Edu.

"But there is big competition to get the best players, from the best leagues. For Palmeiras, they are going to receive a lot of calls from many clubs, the best clubs in the world to try and bring him to them.

"It is a tough time for the player, honestly. Sometimes they are loads of messages, loads of opportunities, and it can be very difficult to make decisions.

"It is important for the people around him to give him the right advice together with the family, to let them make the right decision. Let's see, if some point Arsenal did manage to bring the player, they will be getting a very good player."

Arsenal have built connections in Brazil through the recent signings of Gabriel Martinelli and Marquinhos, both of whom left their homeland as a teenager to sign for the Gunners.