Palmeiras forward Endrick has confirmed that he will sign a professional contract with his current club when he turns 16 later this year.
A host of teams, including Premier League clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, were said to be pursuing the teenager but the player has reaffirmed his commitment to Palmeiras.
“I want to stay here and win many titles, the Copa Libertadores and the Club World Cup… and, God willing, become an idol of the ‘torcida’. I don’t think about it now [interest from Europe]. I am going to sign my first professional contract and my head is to play for Palmeiras. I don’t want to lose focus. My goal is always to show my performance and, of course, by playing better, I’m going to arouse the interest of teams from the big European championships.”
It must be pointed out that teams can still agree a deal to sign him when he turns 18 instead, but Palmeiras will be due a sizeable transfer fee if that happens.
Based on Endrick’s previous comments, a move to Spain is still the likeliest possibility, with the 15-year-old having expressed interest in both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
City do, though, have a good track record when it comes to signing players from Brazil, and they could well use their connections to get themselves to the front of the queue in order to secure the young striker’s signature.
Manchester City
Arsenal
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fulham
Brentford
Liverpool
