Arsenal are the “new entry” among the clubs battling for the signature of Real Madrid forward Endrick, according to reports in the Italian media.

Calciomercato.com says that the Gunners have joined Aston Villa and AC Milan in trying to pry the young Brazilian away from the Bernabeu.

Endrick has not been given a lot of game time by Real manager Jose Mourinho, who has started him just once in all competitions this season.

There is a chance that he could leave in January, although whether the player is open to a permanent departure is up for debate.

Arsenal won’t be keen on a straight loan

One of the reasons why Endrick ended up joining Lyon at the start of this year, rather than a Premier League team, was due to his stipulation that he didn’t want an option/obligation to buy included in any loan agreement.

The Gunners would want the option to keep the striker, but if the player maintains the stance that he sees his long-term future at Real, then it would make any switch to the Emirates in the New Year very unlikely.

Why is the club interested in Endrick?

Manager Mikel Arteta clearly doesn’t rate Viktor Gyokeres that highly. Despite scoring 21 goals in all competitions last season, the Swedish international has started just 1 of the first 9 Premier League fixtures this campaign.

With that being the case, it seems plausible that the forward’s sale will be sanctioned either in January or at the end of the season.

Endrick appears to be one of the options under consideration as Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta look at replacements. The 20-year-old has been praised by some big names. Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos is a big fan of his fellow Brazilian. When asked to describe him, he said:

“Power, speed, intelligence. A complete player. Young and complete.”