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.
Real Madrid News
Key Real Madrid star will be fit for Valladolid clash despite national team withdrawal
Real Madrid have been greeted with some positive news on the injury front as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is expected to be fit and ready for the upcoming La Liga clash against Real Valladolid.
The 30-year-old custodian had flown away for national team duty with Belgium and played the full game against Sweden last week. However, the Real Madrid ace was sent back to the club over the weekend due to a minor adductor strain.
This raised concerns over the former Chelsea star’s condition, especially with a busy period lying ahead for the Merengues.
However, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic has eased any nerves surrounding his situation, reporting that Courtois was subjected to tests upon returning to Spain and there is no reason for worry.
The report states that Real Madrid expect their No. 1 to be fit and available for their next game which will be against Real Valladolid in La Liga on April 2, Sunday.
It is further stated that the knock Courtois sustained was not a new one and that the 30-year-old had felt discomfort in the same area during Los Blancos’ UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg tie against Liverpool at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this month.
Courtois has featured 32 times across all competitions this term, having missed a few matches due to fitness issues. He has managed just ten clean sheets and will be hoping to add to that against Valladolid, now that is reportedly fit to feature at the weekend.
In another boost, reports earlier today indicated that Toni Kroos does not have any injury after concerns were raised due to the midfielder doing individual training sessions over the past week.
