Endrick is one of the most sought-after youngsters in world football (Picture: Getty)
Endrick has snubbed Chelsea after agreeing a move to Real Madrid and the reason why he turned the Blues down has now been revealed.
The 16-year-old forward is one of the most sought-after youngsters in world football with Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also among the clubs who were hoping to land him.
While he cannot leave current club Palmeiras until 2024, he has agreed to join Real Madrid with the Spanish club set to pay his €60m release clause – with a portion of that figure being made up by bonuses and add-ons.
Chelsea were heavily linked and ramped up their charm offensive to sign the wonderkid in November, inviting his family to the club’s Cobham training ground and enlisting the help of Brazil legend Thiago Silva to sell the project.
It had been suggested that Endrick’s preference was at one point to join Chelsea following that visit, but his head turned after meeting with Real Madrid.
According to The Athletic, Endrick and his family were impressed by the Blues but felt they were ‘more hesitant in committing to financial terms’ with a large element of the deal said to be performance-related.
It is also believed that changes made by new owner Todd Boehly to the club’s recruitment department may have also been a factor, with the American – who succeeded Roman Abramovich in the summer – ‘still constructing’ that area.
Todd Boehly is ‘still constructing’ Chelsea’s recruitment department (Picture: Getty)
French club Pairs Saint-Germain, meanwhile, tabled an opening offer of €45m for teenager Endrick last month, which was instantly rejected by Palmeiras.
Endrick made his senior debut for Palmeiras in October and has already scored three times for the club.
He is now set to join Real Madrid, who have signed two of Brazil’s best young talents in similar circumstances in recent years, signing a then 16-year-old Vinicius Jr from Flamengo in a deal worth €46m in 2017, making him the second most expensive signing from the Brazilian league in history.
In 2018, they struck a deal to sign 17-year-old Rodrygo from Santos with both now vital players in the Spanish capital.
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Two key reasons…
