Aston Villa have been linked with a deal for one of the world’s most promising young players - will they really make a move in the January transfer window?
While Aston Villa seem to have started to slowly turn a corner and fine some form after an abysmal start to the season, Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Brentford still leaves Unai Emery’s side with just one win and six goals in six Premier League matches so far. It’s not a record that suits a side who just qualified for the Champions League.
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There are plenty of extenuating circumstances thanks to a torrid summer in the transfer market, but the list of perfectly plausible excuses doesn’t change the fact that Villa need more goals, more creativity, and more attacking spark, and may need to lean on the January transfer window to find all that.
Given that the club’s finances dictated that they sell many of their best attacking players over the past few months, they’re unlikely to spend heavily over the winter – but recent rumours suggest that they may have found a cost-effective answer to their prayers in the form of a loan deal which could bring one of the world’s brightest young talents to the Midlands.
Aston Villa interested in Endrick loan deal – reports
Endrick has four goals in 24 senior caps for Brazil - and could perhaps be an Aston Villa player next yearplaceholder image
Endrick has four goals in 24 senior caps for Brazil - and could perhaps be an Aston Villa player next year | Getty Images
According to a number of media sources, Aston Villa are one of a handful of teams hopeful that they can arrange a loan deal for Real Madrid striker Endrick, the 20-year-old who has long been earmarked as one of the most promising forwards in world football.
Real signed Endrick from Palmeiras in a deal worth a reported £50m in 2024 and has earned 24 caps for Brazil already, but has struggled to get starting minutes at the Bernabeu in a position monopolised by Kylian Mbappé. His potential remains largely unfulfilled as a result.
The striker spent last season on loan at Lyon, scoring eight goals in 21 appearances and gaining valuable first-team experience, and that led to widespread speculation that he might be allowed to leave on loan again this season – but after losing back-up striker Gonzalo García to Fulham in the transfer window, new Real manager José Mourinho refused to let Endrick leave.
So far, that hasn’t really worked out well for anyone. Mourinho has given Endrick just 10 minutes of first-team football since the summer and some reports suggest that he is pushing for another loan deal. Villa, it would seem, are one of the teams hoping that he gets the chance to move once more.
Should succeed with such a bid, they would be getting their hands on a forward that Carlo Ancelotti clearly has immense faith in – he played in all three of Brazil’s matches over the recent international break, picking up an assist against Australia – but also a player who performed unevenly in France last year.
Used primarily out of position on the right wing, Endrick’s five Ligue 1 goals came from an xG of 6.56, and the predatory instincts he developed at Palmeiras appeared to have been somewhat blunted by his inactivity at Real, where he has started just three league games since signing. But while he looked rusty up front, Endrick also demonstrated some of the technical finesse and creativity which set him apart from his young peers when he was generating rave reviews as a teenager.
Endrick provided seven assists in just 16 league games and demonstrated real vision and an impressive final ball. He may not have been as lethal in front of goal as Lyon might have hoped, but his all-round game was arguably even better than advertised given how little football he had played since leaving Brazil.
If Aston Villa do sign Endrick, they would be getting an out-of-practice forward whose form and consistency would be uncertain, but also a player with immense natural talent who can operate in multiple positions and provide chances even when he isn’t scoring them. That versatility could be useful given how many key attacking players Villa lost over the summer.
Will Aston Villa be able to sign Endrick in January?
Endrick has struggled for minutes at Real Madrid since signing in 2024placeholder image
Endrick has struggled for minutes at Real Madrid since signing in 2024 | Getty Images
Given Aston Villa’s position, a loan offer for Endrick makes a considerable amount of sense – but they are scarcely the only club to whom that would apply, and there do appear to be other sides in the race.
Chief among them are AC Milan, who are not only keen to sign Endrick but are also said to be his preferred destination, at least according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who reported last week that the strong relationship between Milan’s owners and the player’s representatives would help to keep them at the front of the queue.
Their report further observes that while Real would expect that Milan cover the entirety of Endrick’s wages if they do agree to let him leave on loan, that wouldn’t represent an issue for the Serie A side given their current budget. It wouldn’t be a problem for Villa either, most likely, but the financial advantage that Premier League sides usually enjoy over their Italian counterparts wouldn’t apply here.
Perhaps an even bigger obstacle than Milan, however, is Real Madrid themselves. Sport Witness quote an executive from Roc Nation, who represent Endrick, to suggest that the most likely eventuality is that the youngster doesn’t go anywhere this winter.
That may change if Mourinho continues to keep Endrick rooted firmly to the bench, and several sources – including that same representative – suggest that the player would be keen. The issue is that he’s the only natural centre-forward that Real have in the first team behind Mbappé, and they are loathe to let him leave in case of an injury.
From Aston Villa’s perspective, then, a deal is far from probable despite the number of stories doing the rounds which connect them with a bid. They may well be interested and the player might be amenable, but there are several barriers in their way. Not that they’re insurmountable, and the picture could easily change between now and the new year. Endrick’s future is worth keeping an eye on, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Aston Villa at least tried their luck come January.