Barcelona boss Hansi Flick interested in signing Real Madrid star as Robert Lewandowski replacement: Reports

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has identified Endrick as a possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski, according to Real Madrid Confidencial (via Madrid Universal). The Brazilian forward arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu last summer as one of the brightest young talents in the land.

While he has struggled for chances this season, the 18-year-old's stock remains high. Endrick has registered seven goals from 29 games across competitions this season for Los Blancos, most of which were from the bench.

Real Madrid have slowly integrated him into the rigors of European football, but the Brazilian hasn't look out of place alongside some of the stalwarts of modern football. His efforts, interestingly, have earned him an admirer in Hansi Flick.

Barcelona are looking for a new striker to eventually replace Robert Lewandowski, who is in the final phase of his career. The Catalans signed Vitor Roque for the job in January 2024, but that move has backfired.

Flick believes that Endrick has all the attributes to fill Lewandowski's shoes and desire to see him at Camp Nou. The report adds that Barcelona president Joan Laporta previously tried to sign the Brazilian, but he turned them down.

However, prising the teenager away from Real Madrid will be next to impossible. Endrick is on a long-term contract that keeps him at the club until 2030. Los Blancos consider him a key part of their future and have no desire to let him go.

Are Barcelona eyeing a Real Madrid target this summer?

Barcelona are planning to hijack Real Madrid's move for Dean Huijsen, according to Fichajes.net (via Team Talk). The Spanish defender is a wanted man ahead of the summer, thanks to a series of assured performances for Bournemouth.

His efforts have already earned him a La Roja debut, and the player is highly regarded across the continent. Los Blancos are already in the market for defensive reinforcements and have Huijsen on their agenda.

Carlo Ancelotti is sweating on the fitness of Eder Militao, who has now suffered two ACL injury in less than two years. Meanwhile, David Alaba only recently returned to full fitness from a similar injury.

The Austrian is already on the wrong side of 30, along with Antonio Rudiger, prompting Real Madrid to consider reinforcements. Huijsen has popped up on their radar, but Barcelona are threatening to ruin their plans. However, the 19-year-old is expected to cost €60m, so the Catalans may have to raise funds to script a move.

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Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 19.5 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

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Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee