Endrick hints at potential Real Madrid number - inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo & NBA icon Luka Doncic - as Brazilian starlet plays down No.9 possibility

Madrid announced in December 2022 that Endrick would join the club in the summer of 2024 after they agreed to match his €60 million (£52m/$64m) release clause. The Brazil international will make the switch after his 18th birthday and is already considering which number he will wear for the Spanish giants.

He told Placar TV: "I'm not overly concerned about the numbers, but my favourite is number seven. That's what I use in video games when I play NBA and in FIFA. It is a number that for me draws a lot of attention because Cristiano [Ronaldo] was seven and I also really like [NBA star] Luka Doncic who is a guy who wears 77, a high number. It's a number that I look at and see as standing out. I like it a lot, but I don't know. I've played with 11, with 10, with seven... Now I'm the nine at Palmeiras. It's a great number, too, but always comes with a lot of responsibility."

Endrick would have to convince Vinicius Junior to switch if he wants to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul by wearing the No.7 as his compatriot has been playing in that shirt since last season. If he goes for the No.9, he would be still replicating Ronaldo as well as other previous wearers like Brazilian icon Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Fernando Morientes and Alfredo di Stefano.

The 17-year-old sensation will continue to play for Palmeiras before he makes his long-awaited move to the Santiago Bernabeu ahead of the 2024-25 season. By then, he will hope to have his mind made up regarding his choice of shirt number.