Endrick Unmoved by Liverpool Interest as Mourinho Strengthens Madrid

Jose Mourinho has spent a career annoying Liverpool. From Chelsea to Manchester United to Tottenham, he has rarely passed up a chance to frustrate Anfield. Now at Real Madrid, he has done it again – this time without even playing them.

Endrick unmoved by Liverpool interest

Endrick is not planning an escape from Madrid. Despite Liverpool sounding out his situation after wrapping up a deal for Yan Diomande, ESPN report the Brazilian wants to stay and fight for his place at the Bernabeu.

Liverpool are understood to have checked on his availability once Diomande chose Madrid over Merseyside. The Premier League club were prepared to go close to £100million for the Ivory Coast international before he opted for Mourinho’s project.

Endrick, though, has been enjoying his summer under the Portuguese coach. The 20-year-old – who spent the second half of last season on loan at Lyon – has been heavily involved in pre-season. He started and scored in his first friendly of the summer against Fiorentina, then kept his place for games with Deportivo La Coruna and Ferencvaros. He did not feature in Madrid’s most recent outing, but that has not changed his stance.

Mourinho views him as a flexible attacking option and, according to reports, both coach and player have turned down approaches from Aston Villa and Roma in recent weeks. The message from Madrid is clear: Endrick is staying put.

Diomande reveals Mourinho’s 5am call

If Liverpool needed another reminder of Mourinho’s pull, Diomande has provided it.

The winger, signed from RB Leipzig, has already spoken publicly about the decisive role his new manager played in luring him to Spain. Speaking to SportyTV, Diomande revealed: "Mourinho got up at five in the morning to talk to me."

That call, and the badge on the shirt, settled it.

"When Madrid calls you, you can't say no," he recalled. "So I said: 'If they want me, that's where I'll be.'

Diomande made his non-competitive debut in Endrick’s absence, coming on for Brahim Diaz for the final half-hour of a pre-season fixture. He has wasted no time in nailing his colours to Mourinho’s mast.

"As soon as I arrived, he told me: 'I promised you that you were going to be part of my team, and here you are.' And I told him: 'I'm happy to work with you because you are the best.'

"I can learn a lot from him; he is the right coach to continue my development. I am prepared to die for him."

Those are the kind of words that sting in recruitment departments on Merseyside.

Liverpool’s search moves elsewhere

With Endrick off the table and Diomande already in white, Liverpool have been forced to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements.

Their most concrete move so far has been for Yankuba Minteh. Brighton & Hove Albion have rejected a £50million offer from Anfield, but Minteh remains the player Liverpool have actually bid for.

Other names have been explored. The club have held early talks for Ibrahim Mbaye and Magnhes Akilouche, although both players have since ended up at Paris Saint-Germain. PSG have also been in discussions with Liverpool over Bradley Barcola.

Barcola wants the move. The France international has made it clear privately that he wants to sign for Liverpool, but PSG are demanding £140million – a fee that would shatter Liverpool’s transfer record.

Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Said El Mala were also flagged as possible options earlier in the window, yet none of those pursuits have advanced like the Minteh bid.

So Liverpool push on, searching for the next forward while watching Mourinho build an attack that twice slipped through their fingers. How many more times will they let Madrid – and Mourinho – dictate the market at the top of European football?