Real Madrid News
Real Madrid, Barcelona rivalled by Arsenal in pursuit of Brazilian forward – report
Endrick is currently a man in demand following his rapid rise to prominence at Palmeiras. At the age of just 15, the youngster made his professional debut and is promising to become the next big thing in Brazilian football after Neymar.
In light of his excellent performances in Brazil, Endrick has become one of the top targets for Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are prepared to splash the cash for the 16-year-old, even though he is not eligible to move to Europe until he is 18.
For a long time, it was thought Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to go head-to-head, in the race to sign Endrick. However, according to a report from FourFourTwo (h/t Diario SPORT), the two Spanish giants are set to face fresh competition from Arsenal.
It appears the Premier League giants have become the latest club to join the pursuit of Endrick. Such has been confirmed by former Arsenal star Gilberto Silva, who believes the Gunners could give Real Madrid and Barcelona a run for their money.
“There is a lot of competition to get the best players from the big league clubs. Palmeiras are going to receive many calls from many clubs (to sign Endrick), the best clubs in the world to try to bring him. If Arsenal manage to sign him, they will get a very good player,” said Silva.
Gilberto believes Arsenal sporting director Edu could play a vital role in convincing Endrick to move to Emirates. The Gunners already have an excellent record of bringing in Brazilian talents in recent years, with Gabriel Martinelli, for one, enjoying a rapid rise to prominence.
In addition, Arsenal have built a solid reputation for offering youngsters the opportunity to perform at the highest level. Endrick, to that end, could be yet another exciting addition to the team led by Mikel Arteta.
However, Real Madrid are no slouch and have made great efforts to engineer a move for Endrick. A decade ago, they had missed out on the signing of Neymar. But this time around, Los Blancos have no intention to miss out on yet another Brazilian supertalent.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
