Milan are prepared to revive their interest in Real Madrid's Endrick in the January window, but they will have to fend off Roma for the Brazilian's signature.
The Rossoneri chased Endrick in the summer, with Gerry Cardinale identifying him as the high-calibre attacking midfielder he wanted to hand to Rubén Amorim. That pursuit went nowhere, with Real Madrid's refusal to let him go holding firm right to the end.
According to Corriere dello Sport, the picture has not changed on the player's end, but the field of suitors has grown. Roma spent the summer bringing in six new faces, Koulierakis, Balerdi, Molina, De Roon, Rodrigo Mora and Castro, yet sporting director Tony D'Amico is already looking at how to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's squad further, and Endrick is one of the names under consideration.
Gasperini told Gazzetta dello Sport that Zenit's Luiz Henrique and Chelsea's Jamie Gittens had been the club's two main targets, but both moves collapsed over cost and wage concerns. Stuttgart's Jonathan Leweling was another option who wavered until the final moment before turning Roma down. Those misses have left the Giallorossi searching for an attacking addition in the new year.
Endrick returned to Real Madrid after a productive six-month loan at Lyon and ended up staying put, with new head coach José Mourinho opposing any exit because of his faith in the 20-year-old. That stance is what closed the door on Milan in the summer.
The paper adds a wrinkle that will not please the Rossoneri: there is a belief inside the Roma dressing room that Endrick, should he leave Madrid in January, favours a move to the capital. He is said to have told friends he wants to link up with compatriot Wesley at Roma.
Much will hinge on Roma's league and Champions League position by the winter, and on whether Real Madrid soften their stance and open up to favourable terms, a loan chief among them, for their striker. Milan will monitor his minutes between now and January before deciding whether to move again.
For now, the decision sits with Real Madrid and Mourinho, and until they signal a willingness to let Endrick go, neither Milan nor Roma has a deal to chase.