Real Madrid have resumed their transfer business following the end of the involvement at the Club World Cup. Alvaro Carreras is set to make his long-awaited move from Benfica, but there is also expected to be players leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.

One area that could be addressed in this regard in Xabi Alonso’s attacking options. The emergence of Gonzalo Garcia means that there is now him, Kylian Mbappe and Endrick Felipe as out-and-out strikers, with Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior also capable of operating as a 9 when required.

Because of this, it’s expected that either Gonzalo or Endrick will leave – and recent reports have made it clear that the latter is the preferred option of Real Madrid. However, their efforts to secure a loan for him have now suffered a setback.

As reported by Diario AS, Endrick is not in favour of leaving Real Madrid this summer, as he believes in his ability to secure regular minutes at the Bernabeu during the 2025-26 campaign. He considers himself ready to embrace the challenge of competing with Gonzalo to be Mbappe’s understudy.

Endrick impressed in limited minutes last season

Real Madrid’s ability to seek a loan for Endrick had already been affected by the 18-year-old suffering an injury against PSG earlier this week that is expected to keep him out for approximately two months. And this development could mean that the decision is made for him to stay, which could now push Gonzalo closer to the exit door.

It would not be the worst decision for Real Madrid to count on Endrick next season, even if it means that his development does not move forward as much as desired. He did relatively well in his limited minutes during the 2024-25 campaign, with seven goals scored across 37 appearances (eight starts) in all competitions.