Former Milan star Alexandre Pato has lifted the lid on the Italian club's attempt to sign one of Real Madrid's rising stars.
As the summer window neared its close, rumours swirled that Milan were chasing a marquee signing before the deadline.
Real Madrid's Endrick emerged as one of the names tipped to join the Rossoneri. No agreement ever materialised.
A loan for the 20-year-old forward was far from out of the question, with fears mounting over his lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. Those fears have proved well founded. Eight matches into the season, he has managed just four minutes.
Speaking at the Sports Festival in Trento, Pato reflected on his own time with the Rossoneri and offered his thoughts on Endrick in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Brazilian reckons the youngster would be better off finding a new club, while confirming that Cardinale had tried to sign him over the summer.
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Asked about Endrick, he said: "I think he needs a change. It is not easy to find a place for him at Real Madrid. I do not know his view on the matter, but he cannot always leave the decision to his agents. In my opinion, he should find another club."
He continued: "I know Cardinale was trying to bring him to Milan, but he did not succeed. He always thinks of Milan's interest. We spoke a little in Copenhagen a few days ago. He cares a great deal about Milan and will do his utmost for the club."
On his hopes for Milan despite the difficulty of competing with Inter, he said: "For me, Inter and Milan are always among the contenders for the win. In the Scudetto race, I am also following Napoli because they have a good team... Enough talk about Inter now! (laughs) I hope Milan reach the Champions League final as soon as possible."
Pato also praised the attacking style of coach Ruben Amorim, adding: "Now everyone expects him to bring Milan back to the Champions League, and perhaps win the league. However, it is fair to give him some time because he arrived recently, to understand the difficulties of the Italian league. But I have a feeling that Amorim will perform well this year and will make the fans happy."