A move to Aston Villa could offer Real Madrid forward Endrick the regular first-team football he needs, while also giving Unai Emery another attacking option for the 2026/27 campaign.
Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid has already changed the landscape at the Santiago Bernabeu, with a major reshaping of the squad under way and the prospect of another fierce LaLiga season ahead. The two meetings with Barcelona will be among the most anticipated fixtures of the campaign, recalling the intense Clasico battles during Mourinho’s previous spell in charge.
The Portuguese manager has wasted little time putting his stamp on the club. Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi and Yan Diomande have arrived, while David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal, Franco Mastantuono, Fran Gonzalez, Fran Garcia, Mario Martin, Cesar Palacios and Gonzalo Garcia have left.
Further departures remain possible, with Aston Villa reportedly interested in taking Endrick to Villa Park on loan. At this stage, there appears to be a realistic chance that the Premier League club could complete the deal.
Carlos Espi’s arrival, combined with Gonzalo Garcia’s departure, appears to have left Endrick as Mourinho’s third-choice centre-forward, behind Espi and Kylian Mbappe. A starting role on either flank also seems unlikely. Once Rodrygo returns from injury, Mourinho will have him, Vinicius Junior, Silva, Diomande and Brahim Diaz among his other attacking options.
That situation makes a temporary move logical for everyone involved. Mourinho is understood not to have pressured Endrick into deciding his future. Instead, he has left the door open for the Brazilian to establish himself at Real Madrid, while being candid that the immediate path to regular football could be difficult.
The decision is expected to rest with Endrick, with one of the key factors being whether he can become a guaranteed starter at a Champions League club. Aston Villa fit that description, making a move to the Midlands particularly attractive.
Endrick has already provided evidence that he can perform at a high level. During a successful loan spell at Lyon, he scored eight goals and supplied eight assists in 21 appearances across all competitions.
Only Corentin Tolisso, with 11 goals, and Pavel Sulc, with 13, scored more than Endrick for Lyon during 2025/26. Both played at least 11 more matches than the Brazilian. Tolisso also accumulated more than 1,000 additional minutes, yet finished with only three more goals.
Endrick struck the woodwork twice as well, meaning he could conceivably have ended the season just one goal behind Tolisso. His nine fast breaks were comfortably the most recorded by any Lyon player, highlighting the pace and directness that would appeal to Emery.
His physical strength in possession is another quality that could suit Aston Villa’s style, while his shooting figures were also impressive. Endrick’s shot accuracy was 63.46%, bettered at Lyon only by Abner Vinicius. However, Abner attempted just 21 shots and scored four goals, whereas Endrick registered 63 attempts, with 33 on target. No Lyon player managed more shots overall or more efforts on target.
There are areas of his game that still require development. Endrick’s passing accuracy was 75.14%, the third-lowest figure in the Lyon squad, and Emery would expect greater reliability in possession. The Aston Villa manager is likely to demand that passes played into Endrick are retained and that the forward contributes more consistently to the team’s combination play.
Aerial football is another potential weakness. Endrick won only three of his 21 aerial duels last season, suggesting that regularly using high balls towards him would not be the most effective approach. On the ground, however, he was far more successful, winning 90 one-on-one duels.
His defensive contribution was more evenly balanced. Endrick won nine tackles and lost nine from 18 attempts, giving him a 50% success rate, although that is another area in which improvement is possible.
Emery has built a reputation for bringing the best out of his players. If Aston Villa can agree a loan before the new season begins, Endrick would have the opportunity to play regularly in the Champions League and continue developing at the highest level, while Real Madrid could monitor his progress with a view to his eventual return to the Bernabeu.
