Sport

Real Madrid’s proactive transfer strategy

Real Madrid may be a lot of things, but something they deserve a lot of credit for in recent years is being incredibly proactive when it comes to adjusting to the football landscape.

While their continued insistence on the European Super League is more harmful than anything else, the way they have maintained their position as an elite force is much more impressive than it seems. The entire concept of the European Super League was formed because historic clubs like Madrid, Barcelona, whose financial issues have dominated conversation for the last couple of years, and Juventus felt threatened by the shift in where the money is going. Although Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City were invited to join the new venture, state money has been key to that change, plus the perceived influx of cash into the Premier League.

But for all that activism for change, Florentino Perez still oversees the club to beat. They may not have a monopoly of the transfer market in the way they did at the height of the Galactico era, but their new approach means they are still a key player. Now they look to sign stars of the future and develop them, as well as monitoring contracts to pounce on free transfers. That is predominantly why they won’t feel beaten by PSG despite Kylian Mbappe signing a new deal; it is only for three years, meaning the Frenchman will be available for free again as he hits his peak. The situation is similar for Erling Haaland at Manchester City.

But with French pair Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni already impressing, and Brazilians Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo growing in importance at the Santiago Bermabeu, Madrid have struck again. Endrick has signed from Palmeiras for €72m; the 16-year-old striker reached a similar agreement to Vinicius when he left Flamengo in 2018. He will officially move to the Spanish capital in 2024 when he is old enough.

But beating rivals to his signature cannot be understated even at this early stage in his career. Barcelona, PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea were interested, and it is easy to see why. For someone so young, Endrick is astonishingly ruthless and sharp in front of goal, combining that with a youthful dynamism, energy and electric pace. Comparisons are far too common and rarely helpful, but the similarities to Ronaldo’s performances for Cruzeiro are striking. He has everything to one day become a superstar, which is precisely the point.

There was a time when Real would have been among the last places Endrick’s development would be least served. Martin Odegaard may still have nightmares from his move at the age of 15 seven years ago, which boss Carlo Ancelotti, who left and has since returned to the club, admitted was nothing more than a commercial decision. Academy development was incredibly rare.

At the height of the rivalry with Barcelona 10 years ago, the Catalans were known for developing talent. Madrid assembled their team through signings. But on the evidence of recent times, has the perception shifted?

Endrick joining is crucial in that regard. The similarities to Vinicius’ deal are very positive; he will move when ready, and on the evidence of that, be given the time to improve and develop into the player he could become.

Vinicius had to improve under a cloud. Cristiano Ronaldo had left the club and not been replaced directly, meaning there was no obvious talisman and, like every club, Madrid felt the bite of transition. Karim Benzema has also stepped up since, but there was a time he told a teammate to avoid passing to Vinicius because he didn’t feel he was impacting games. Now he is a vital part of the team, and although struggled to show it regularly in Qatar, is another string to Brazil’s frighteningly strong attacking bow.

Not much is known about Endrick yet, beyond the fact he looks like the latest incredibly exciting Brazilian prospect. But many have been before and failed to step up, and the truth is, he is far too young to make any concrete predictions about his success yet.

Yet, he is in the right place to fulfil his potential. Real Madrid are a club reborn, understanding that their best chance of signing the best players is to make the best players themselves. That wasn’t always the case, but Endrick has a superb chance of being their latest conquest in their brave new world.