Carlo Ancelotti summed up the issue bluntly during the international break: “The problem for Brazilian boys is that they do not improve because they do not play,”

That warning now hangs over Endrick, who has gone from being cast as the face of Brazil’s next wave to becoming a case study in the risks of a move abroad before regular first-team football is secured. The 20-year-old has found minutes hard to come by since his high-cost switch to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, and that lack of exposure has slowed his rise from wonderkid to established attacking talent.

A productive loan spell at Lyon in the second half of 2025-26 offered a reminder of his ability. In 21 matches, he scored eight and assisted eight, while also adapting to a new role on the right flank. Yet that momentum has not carried back to Madrid. With Yan Diomande and Carlos Espí arriving, and José Mourinho now in charge, Endrick has slipped further from the picture. He has made only one substitute appearance so far this season.

Madrid declined to loan him out in the summer, but a January departure now looks increasingly likely, with multiple clubs understood to be interested in a temporary move.

A return to Lyon would make sense on footballing grounds, although he would still have to compete with Ernest Nuamah and Loïs Openda for playing time.

Real Sociedad remain a credible option after previous links over the summer. Their need is obvious, with only Athletic Club scoring fewer goals than La Real among the current top 10 in La Liga, and Mikel Oyarzabal’s form has dipped post-World Cup.

Aston Villa are another possibility. Their start to 2026-27 has been difficult after a summer rebuild, but Unai Emery’s track record offers a degree of reassurance. Endrick could help on the flanks and provide another option while also learning under one of the game’s more respected coaches.

Liverpool also enter the discussion. They signed two mostly left-sided wingers in the summer and still lack a natural right-sided choice beyond Federico Chiesa. Endrick would not be replacing Mohamed Salah, but he could offer useful depth on the wing or up front, particularly with Alexander Isak needing careful management and Hugo Ekitiké still working back to full rhythm after long-term injury.

The first five matchdays of the 2026/27 Premier League season have already given shape to a campaign that promised uncertainty from the outset. With the table still settling and another international break leaving a long pause before Matchday 6, there is time to take stock of what has emerged so far.

Arsenal’s title defence has already met resistance after a heavy defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Before that trip, they looked close to untouchable, but the champions have not yet shown enough to pull clear of their rivals. Bruno Guimarães has added quality, though injury has delayed his rhythm, while Christos Tzolis has stepped in as a serviceable replacement for Leandro Trossard. Even so, Arsenal’s attack was found wanting in their toughest test to date, with concerns lingering over the goalscoring burden on Bukayo Saka and the lack of a set-piece breakthrough.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, are navigating a period of change after rebuilding their core in the summer. Their first league win of the season offered encouragement, with Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and João Gomes all making useful contributions. Bournemouth have begun slowly under Marco Rose, but there is little panic as they balance league form with European demands after an opening win at Real Sociedad. Brentford continue to look like a difficult assignment at home, built on physicality and a set-piece threat that has already caused problems for visiting sides.

Brighton’s pressing game has been a feature of the early weeks, while Chelsea’s start under Xabi Alonso has raised serious questions about their structure without the ball. Coventry City finally recorded a first Premier League win in more than 25 years, though goals remain a concern. Everton’s window left them thin on options, Fulham are showing signs of adjustment under Álvaro Arbeloa, and Hull City have been one of the early surprises, even if history offers a warning.

Elsewhere, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur all have distinct questions to answer as the season develops.

The international break is usually a chance for players to step away from club football. For Alejandro Garnacho, that luxury does not really exist.

There was a time when the winger looked destined for much bigger things. Signed by Manchester United as a highly rated teenager, he made his senior debut at 17 in April 2022 and had already become one of the side’s most effective players by the 2023-24 season. That campaign ended with him finishing sixth in the Kopa Trophy voting, a sign that his rise had gathered real momentum.

What followed was far less predictable.

In December 2024, Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were omitted from a matchday squad for the derby against Manchester City after manager Ruben Amorim said he was unhappy with their training performances. Garnacho returned quickly and was praised for the way he responded, while Rashford never played under Amorim again. But his situation soon worsened as he found it difficult to fit into Amorim’s winger-less system.

The relationship reached its breaking point after the 2025 Europa League final, when Garnacho questioned why he had not started. Amorim then told him to find a new club, and Chelsea moved in. They had considered a January 2025 approach before paying $54 million (£40 million) six months later.

However, the move did not develop as hoped. Chelsea’s recruitment team drove the deal and Enzo Maresca had not spoken with Garnacho before his arrival, which went some way to explaining his limited starts. He was not criticised for attitude or work rate, but his end product was modest, with eight goals in all competitions and only one in the Premier League.

Chelsea then accepted that offers could be entertained after one season, leading Garnacho to Aston Villa on loan with an obligation to buy under certain conditions. Even there, the search for rhythm has stalled. Unai Emery has given him just 31 minutes this season, with his latest appearance coming on Sept. 5. He was an unused substitute against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup and remained on the bench for the win over Tottenham Hotspur.

“Work, work, train, work,” Emery said, while also noting that other players are “giving us things I want.” For Garnacho, the message is clear.