Real Madrid forward Endrick could be on the move again this season, with Aston Villa emerging as the front-runners for a loan deal.

After struggling to establish himself under Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso, Endrick spent the second half of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Lyon. That spell brought a return of eight goals and eight assists in 21 appearances, offering a reminder of the quality that first made him such a prized signing.

His situation at Madrid has become more complicated this summer. The club have added further competition in backup striker Carlos Espí and winger Yan Diomande, leaving Endrick with an even harder route into the team whether he is used centrally or out wide. Mourinho told reporters, “I want a small squad, 20 players plus those who are currently injured”, a line that appears to leave room for departures before the Sept. 1 deadline.

According to AS, both Aston Villa and AS Roma have “expressed an interest” in taking Endrick on loan after his form in France last season. The report adds that Madrid still regard him as a major investment and do not want to risk lowering his value. To make a temporary move possible, they would also be prepared to help cover part of his salary, which is said to be worth more than €5 million ($5.75 million) per season.

SPORT describe Villa as the “most probable” destination. Other reports in Spain have mentioned Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Real Betis as clubs that have asked about a loan, while Endrick is said to be keen on playing in European competition.

Still only 19, he has already worked under three managers at Madrid. Once viewed as one of the brightest young forwards in the game, his stock has dropped since his near €60 million move, but the loan in France suggested there remains a high-level attacker there. The Lyon spell showed a lively forward capable of operating through the middle or from the right, and a move away could give him another chance to rebuild momentum.

José Mourinho has disclosed that he was initially due to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United in 2013, before changing course and returning to Chelsea.

The revelation adds a fresh layer to one of the most scrutinised managerial transitions in recent Premier League history. David Moyes was ultimately chosen to follow Ferguson at Old Trafford after being personally selected by the departing manager. The appointment earned Moyes the nickname “The Chosen One”, but it proved to be a short-lived reign, ending before he completed a full season as United struggled to maintain the standards of the Ferguson era.

For years, that decision has been viewed as a major misstep by Ferguson and the Manchester United hierarchy. Mourinho’s version of events now presents a different path, one in which he was the intended successor before the deal collapsed.

On the new Netflix series Mourinho, the current Real Madrid manager said: “When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex.”

Ferguson, who also appears in the docuseries, backed that account and described how close the arrangement came to being finalised.

“I sat him [Mourinho] down and explained the situation,” the 84-year-old claims. “As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed.”

Mourinho said he then reversed his decision and chose Chelsea, the club where he had already won two Premier League titles earlier in his career. Ferguson recalled the moment the change became clear: “One night, he phoned me and he was crying and he says: ‘Alex, I can’t take it. I’ve given my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break my word.’

“The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed.”

Mourinho explained the choice in emotional terms: “One thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club,” Mourinho reasoned as he explained his decision to choose Chelsea over United..

“I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid , I needed to feel that I’m loved.

“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret [it] because it was a decision that I made with my heart.”

The disclosure leaves open the view that a different ending at Madrid might have altered Manchester United’s post-Ferguson years.

Alf-Inge Haaland refused to rule out a Real Madrid move for his son while underlining Erling Haaland’s current commitment to Manchester City.

“I don’t want to talk much about the options at other clubs. He’s very happy at Manchester City, he has a long contract, and we’re looking forward to the new season,” Haaland’s father told reporters after Norway’s World Cup 2–1 win over Brazil, in which his son scored both goals.

Haaland signed a contract that runs until 2034 and the striker, now almost 26 years old, has shown no reluctance to relocate if it serves his ambition. The exit of Pep Guardiola at the end of 2025–26 and the outstanding 115 Premier League charges facing Manchester City are among the broader uncertainties noted in recent coverage.

Real Madrid presidential hopeful Enrique Riquelme pledged to pursue Haaland had he prevailed in last month’s ballot. Haaland Sr. denied his son was prepared to sign for Los Blancos immediately and Manchester City even weighed legal action. Riquelme lost, and Haaland remains at City for now, but the possibility was kept alive by the elder Haaland.

“Everyone wants to play for Real Madrid and win the Champions League. Would I like to see him at Real Madrid ? Maybe, maybe,” he said, adding: “There’s always an opportunity in football, there are fantastic clubs in Spain and you never know, but right now he’s happy in England.”

Tactically, the draft envisages obstacles to any immediate move. Real Madrid already houses Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, and an incoming one-striker system under José Mourinho would present selection dilemmas. Selling Vinícius Jr, whose contract expires in 2027, is proposed as one option, though coexistence with Mbappé would remain uncertain.

The piece also places the debate in historical context, noting how past Galácticos eras prioritized star recruitment over team cohesion, and contrasts that with later success built around players such as Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.

For now the most concrete reality remains Haaland’s record at City: 162 goals in his first four seasons, fourth on the club’s all-time list and 98 short of Sergio Agüero’s 260, plus 112 Premier League goals and the fastest century in 111 games. Continued form could see those tallies grow significantly.