Real Madrid and Barcelona accelerate pursuit of Manchester United target Endrick | OneFootball

Manchester United target Endrick is edging closer to an agreement with either Real Madrid or FC Barcelona.

According to reports from Spain, the 16-year-old is the centre of a tug of war between the two La Liga giants.

Endrick’s father Douglas Ramos confirmed that the player and his entourage would travel to the Valdebas for a tour of Real Madrid’s training facilities before the end of the year.

Meanwhile Barca manager Xavier Hernandez has affirmed his club’s interest in the prodigious talent, telling ESPN Brasil (quotes via AS):

“We have been speaking with his father and also directly with the player. I explained the project we have in Barcelona. We want talent and he is a talent, capable of making a difference.

“He has the goal, he has the dribbling, he has a brutal ability to make a difference. He is a player of the present, who is already playing in the Brazilian league, and also of the future.”

The clamour for Endrick’s signature is no surprise given how highly the teenager is rated. João Paulo Sampaio only recently likened him to Brazilian greats Romario and Ronaldo.

Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, along with Man United, are all interested in signing the Palmeiras forward when he turns 18.

FIFA legislation prohibits Endrick transferring outside of Brazil until that point, however a formal agreement could be wrapped up before that point, as Madrid did with Vinicius Junior.

It is expected that any interested party would need to meet his €60m release clause for that to happen.

With Manchester United currently needing players who can immediately improve the current squad, that price may be a little too high to pay for a prospect, regardless of his obvious talent.

But with Erik ten Hag looking to build a team that can compete for the biggest trophies over the next few years, Endrick could well turn out to be worth the gamble, budget permitting.

Convincing Endrick and his father of the merits on the United sporting project might just have gotten a little easier in light of the news that the Glazer family are prepared to sell the club.