Real Madrid could sign a 16-year-old pearl from River Plate without having to wait until he comes of adult age, as pointed out by Spanish sports newspaper AS.
Madrid changed its transfer policy some time ago on the watch of president Florentino Perez.
Aware that it cannot compete with state-backed clubs such as Champions League quarterfinals foes Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain when it comes to trying to land established stars for premium sums, Madrid has shifted focus to picking them up for cut fees or on free transfers as seen with Kylian Mbappe.
Perez has also been brave taking a punt of budding talents well before they have realised their full potential.
Though the case of Reinier provides a cautionary tale, he has more than got this right on Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, who were signed from Flamengo and Santos respectively before the turn of the decade for around the $50 million mark.
As per FIFA rules, Madrid had to wait until the youngsters turned 18 before they could cross the Atlantic, and Endrick will do likewise in July when he hits the milestone after Perez agreed a deal worth north of $60 million with his boyhood outfit Palmeiras.
After raiding Brazil for its top prodigies, Madrid is now crossing the border to Argentina.
It has been linked with River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono for a few weeks now, but there is one marked difference between the midfielder and his front line continental contemporaries.
Like many people in his homeland, Mastantuono boasts Italian descendancy meaning he is eligible for a European passport.
This means that he could join Madrid right away, but one potential stumbling block is his relatively high release clause for someone of such a young age.
River Plate recently got Mastantuono to agree fresh terms until 2026 in December last year, but they came with a $48 million release clause.
While Madrid has paid this before for the mentioned Brazilians and doesn’t want a promise like Mastantuono to get away, coming up with the cash right away might be tricky at a time when Endrick will soon land in the Spanish capital and possibly also Mbappe in addition to Alphonso Davies and Leny Yoro.