Real Madrid forward Endrick makes decision on future after loan move collapses despite being almost done: Reports

Real Madrid youngster Endrick was reportedly close to joining Real Sociedad on loan this season. The move collapsed at the last minute, and the Brazilian is now set to stay at Santiago Bernabeu.

According to a report by Arancha Rodríguez of COPE (via MadridXtra), Real Sociedad had a deal in place to loan Endrick to the club for the 2025/26 season. The Brazilian was heading out for regular minutes on the pitch after Xabi Alonso picked Gonzalo Garcia as the third-choice forward for the season.

However, the deal fell through for undisclosed reasons, and the Brazilian will now be part of the squad this season. The domino effect could see Garcia heading out on loan, as reports earlier this week suggested only one of them would remain in Alonso's squad.

AS reported that the Real Madrid manager had made it clear that he would not like more than three options for the striker's role. He has Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr has his main options, with the third spot up for grabs for the two youngsters in the squad.

Alonso reportedly preferred Garcia after being impressed with the Spaniard during the FIFA Club World Cup. He scored four goals and assisted once in his six matches at the tournament in the United States.

Endrick did not play at the FIFA Club World Cup after a hamstring injury kept him on the sidelines. He has returned to Real Madrid City on Sunday as Los Blancos began their preparation for the upcoming season.

Xabi Alonso on Real Madrid youngster Gonzalo Garcia and Endrick

Gonzalo Garcia managed to impress Xabi Alonso in his short stint at the FIFA Club World Cup, and the Real Madrid manager ended up comparing the youngster to legendary striker Raul. The Spaniard heaped praise on the teenager for his presence in the box and said (via SI):

"I know [García] very well. I've followed Castilla very closely and I know their players very well. I'm not that surprised. He's a typical number nine who reminds me in many ways of Raúl: always well-positioned and with a great work ethic."

When quizzed about Endrick during the tournament, the manager said:

"I'm counting on all three of them. Endrick is recovering, but of course, we're counting on him. We're not planning the squad [for next year], just looking for immediate performance. We'll make decisions later."

Real Madrid face Osasuna in their first LaLiga match of the season on August 19 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist who has been with the company for around 10 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.

Sripad has been a Chelsea fan through and through since the age of 9 and can watch their 2012 Champions League triumph on repeat. The undisputed ‘GOAT’ according to him is Lionel Messi and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Apart from popular European leagues, he also likes to follow other leagues like the MLS, Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie, and Liga MX.

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If given a chance to change a football rule, Sripad wants VAR to be fully automated and offside rules to be less stringent. When not working, he likes to watch past Formula 1 races and play FIFA.

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