On July 9th 2006, Italy defeated France on penalties to win the World Cup in Berlin.
Twelve days later, Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa was born in Brasilia.
Now, a little over 16 years later, he’s already tipped for superstardom and possibly partaking in a World Cup Final of his own one day.
Endrick now has his first major contract in his pocket, with Real Madrid announcing the 16-year-old attacker’s signing.
This deal was agreed upon with the current U17 international, his family and his current employer, Palmeiras.
In July 2024, he will switch from the green of Periquito Verde to the famous white of Los Blancos and become a Galactico.
Recently, there emerged talk of €72 million transfer fees and five-year contracts.
However, the Madrilenians did not provide any information on such details.
The hype surrounding the Brazilian is already huge, and while he seems like yet another social media phenomenon, the 2006-born Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa is a different case, which we will see in this analysis.
He celebrated the league title with Palmeiras in November, contributing three goals and one assist in seven appearances.
He became the club’s youngest-ever debutant and goalscorer.
People can’t stop raving about his abilities, and in this scout report, we discover Endrick’s strengths and weaknesses.
Also
, in this tactical analysis, we examinehow he is used in his current team’s tactics since he won’t play under Carlo Ancelotti within the next two years.
Endrick Style Of Play
Endrick is a striker at Palmeiras who excels in his position.
Despite being just 16 years old, he seems to be a considerably better player than many others in his age category and has proven that at the youth level.
He stands a diminutive figure with a stocky build and good physical strength relative to his size.
Additionally, he is a highly skilled and versatile player who’s able to play anywhere in attack.
He can play all across the forward line and can also play in the offensive midfield role.
He has incredible explosiveness up front and is capable of creating results in the blink of an eye at all spots.
Most of the time, he operates effectively alone upfront or offers versatility in an attacking duo.
Endrick style of play is a creative player with great technique on the ball, mobility, acceleration, fast directional shifts, short-dribbling, and good short-mid through passing ability.
He likes to play in a free attacking role, granted the freedom to roam the pitch and find space.
Endrick Heat Map For Serie A 2022
However, he is best suited to playing as an advanced forward in a 4-3-3 formation.
The advanced forward’s main duty is to lead the line and look to spearhead attacking moves.
He is the focal point of attacking moves and is required to both score and create goals.
His secondary duty is to chase down misplaced through balls or clearances from deep, win possession and lay off passes or crosses to his teammates.
Endrick Physicality
His physique is something that must not be overlooked.
Endrick is physically advanced for his age.
The player is not the tallest, as he only stands at 170 cm.
However, his powerful jump allows him to be an aerial threat despite his height.
Despite his small stature, his aerial talent is impressive.
He is powerful and can jump high enough to balance out the effect of his height.
Additionally, he provides good pace and power.
That was on full display at the Copinha as he recorded the tournament’s top speed, and he possesses the ability to sustain his pace over longer distances.
Endrick’s pace and power mean he often wins free kicks in decisive areas and wins nearly three fouls per 90, allowing his team to create via set pieces.
His ability to draw fouls is also a trait which could easily translate to senior football.
Additionally, he is extremely dangerous on the counter, thanks to his electric pace and acceleration.
Endrick Fouls Suffered Map For Serie A 2022
Endrick Dribbling Abilities
Technically, his game is everything you would expect from a Brazilian forward.
He has a brilliant first touch and does exceptionally well in tight spaces — especially when his back is facing the goal.
Moreover, he is highly skilful and creative with his dribbling.
Coming from the land of Joga Bonito, Endrick carries the full weight of Brazil’s glorious football heritage.
When given the opportunity, he does not hesitate to flaunt his prowess by dancing around with the ball and tripping others up.
His immaturity does show at times when he tends to showboat.
However, it is a trait that, if coached well, can become an advantageous asset for a player.
But he combines excellent ball control and dribbling skills at top speed.
Endrick’s rapid pace and dribbling prowess help him grab attention in the closing third of the game.
His rush ahead and drive past many defenders in one go feels like a piece of cake.
He handles the ball close with excellent control while also using his pace when necessary; the mix of control and speed is quite effective when handled in a suitable ratio.
Endrick Penetrating Carries Map For Serie A 2022
Endrick’s dribbling talents and positional awareness usually put him in the right place at the right time.
He is tough to mark and follow, which is where his speed comes in handy.
He asks for the passes, makes the appropriate moves, and exposes and exploits pockets of space to generate a goalscoring opportunity in a flash, which he, as previously stated, can tuck away with ease.
Furthermore, he is extremely difficult to knock off the ball thanks to his low centre of gravity and excellent close control.
Therefore, he gets fouled very often.
Endrick’s backheels and overhead flicks, his ability to keep control of the ball in crowded areas, and his clean knack to trap the ball are all reminiscent of icons of the beautiful game.
Endrick Finishing Abilities
Consider Endrick’s age in comparison to the complete striker he is.
Owning that degree of finishing precision and positional awareness is clearly beyond simple comprehension.
He is an extremely complete and efficient goalscorer.
Endrick makes a strong case for outstanding finishing ability with pinpoint precision and terrific force in his shots.
In the last year or so, he has scored some of the most difficult goals, including overhead kicks, flicks from tight angles, and long-range screamers.
Being small, quick, and difficult to mark, combined with his ability to play in tight spaces and excellent first touch, makes it very easy for Endrick to get high xG shots off and create quality chances before opponents can react properly.
Endrick’s finishing from the central areas is extremely good.
He usually tends to finish from the right side with his stronger left foot.
However, he is equally comfortable taking shots with his right — especially from central areas.
However, he also tends to take low xG shots from wide angles and attempts to showboat in finishes, something he can improve over time.
Through the chart, we notice that he usually takes high xG chances but isn’t afraid to shoot from a distance or a tight angle.
His trademark finish is a low-drilled shot with his left, and his finishing is usually accurate and powerful regardless of which foot he’s shooting with.
Endrick xG Map
Endrick Off-the-ball movement
Endrick’s movement is highly advanced for his age.
While he isn’t usually involved in progressing the play he can drop deep to receive between the lines and combine due to his strength and can still quickly get into advanced positions thanks to his pace.
He usually positions himself between the centre-backs and is always ready to run in behind.
He often drifts out to wide areas and uses his pace and skill to create chances for himself and the team.
However, this is mainly during transitions to create space.
He is usually intelligently positioned in the central areas of the final third.
As mentioned, he always plays off the centre-backs’ shoulders, and with his blistering pace, even clearances can be transformed into goalscoring opportunities.
He’s always stationed in a way to receive through balls in the build-up.
Endrick Touch Map For Serie A 2022
Endrick Defensive work-rate
Furthermore, despite being his team’s ‘golden child,’ Endrick is an extremely hard worker.
His speed allows him to press effectively, and he recovers the ball often for a striker.
He does not hesitate to track back and work for the team.
He provides a very high work rate in the defensive phase and during the press.
Endrick High Regains Map For Serie A 2022
Another card in the starry stack is his confidence.
Endrick has a strong, powerful build.
He is very powerful in duels.
He can readily detect tackles and enjoys a good challenge.
He is not hesitant to engage in close duels and is frequently seen making tackles that are occasionally awkward and originate from the heat of the moment.
The athlete is frequently seen participating in uninvited tackles, and his young zeal sometimes causes conflict.
However, it will progress well over time, and there aren’t many issues currently.
Conclusion
The Brazilian is a rising star, but there are a few factors that may hold him back.
Despite all the hype and potential Endrick shows, he’s still only 16 years old.
He is still extremely raw, and while his abilities shine brightly in Brazil, they may be a little scratchy in Europe’s rugged play.
Remember that Vinícius Júnior rose through the same path of being a hot prospect in Brazil but struggled to settle at Real Madrid in the early seasons.
However, with more time and practice, he eventually adapted to the style and is now the brightest star on the scene.
Endrick could very certainly go the same course.
There was interest from other clubs like PSG.
Overall, it is a huge transfer coup for Real Madrid that may lead to another Brazilian Galactico in future.
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