Endrick rejects Liverpool interest as Mourinho shapes Real Madrid attack around him

Endrick is not considering a move away from Real Madrid this summer, rebuffing reported interest from Liverpool as Jose Mourinho builds his attacking options at the Bernabéu.

ESPN reports that the 20-year-old Brazilian wants to remain in the Spanish capital after a positive pre-season under Mourinho, who is said to view him as a flexible forward capable of playing multiple roles. Endrick started and scored against Fiorentina in his first pre-season outing, and also featured in friendlies against Deportivo La Coruña and Ferencváros.

Liverpool’s reported inquiry into Endrick’s availability came after they missed out on Yan Diomande, the Ivory Coast winger who chose Madrid over Merseyside despite the Reds being willing to spend close to £100 million on him. Diomande has since revealed the personal touch Mourinho applied during his recruitment. “Mourinho got up at five in the morning to talk to me,” the former RB Leipzig winger told SportyTV. “When Madrid calls you, you can’t say no. So I said: ‘If they want me, that’s where I’ll be.’” He added: “I can learn a lot from him; he is the right coach to continue my development.”

Diomande made his non-competitive debut for Madrid in Endrick’s absence, coming on as a substitute in the second half to replace Brahim Díaz. Both Endrick and Mourinho have also reportedly turned down approaches from Aston Villa and Roma in recent weeks.

With the Endrick avenue closed, Liverpool have moved on to other attacking targets. A £50 million offer for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh was rejected, while the club has held exploratory talks over Ibrahim Mbaye and Magnhes Akilouche — though the latter has since joined Mbaye at Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool have been in discussions with PSG for several weeks over Bradley Barcola, with the French club valuing the winger at £140 million. Barcola has privately indicated he wants to make the move to Merseyside. The Reds are also understood to be monitoring Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Said El Mala as further options.