The number 9 of Real Madrid drags like a ball at the feet of Florentino Pérez. Since Kylian Mbappé deliberately chose Modric's 10 rather than this legendary figure, Casa Blanca is embarrassed. An unprecedented situation that divides internally and puts pressure on Madrid leaders.
Mastantuono or Endrick? Real must decide for the 9th
The 19 -year -old Brazilian is waiting for his time. Endrick dreams of recovering this symbolic issue to start its rise in power within the Merengue workforce. But his seven little goals last season and his three tenure only in Liga does not argue in his favor. The club hesitates to entrust it with such a legacy without guarantee of return on investment.
Deadline is dangerously approaching. Franco Mastanuono, a new Argentine recruit, will be presented on August 14 or 15 and must have an assigned number. If Endrick does not recover 9, it is the young prodigy of River Plate who could inherit him. A perspective that does not reassure the Brazilian camp, aware that wearing this jersey is equivalent to a mutual commitment between player and institution.
Number 9: The silent war between Endrick and Mastanuono
A regulatory and symbolic puzzle
The Madrid regulations further complicate the equation. The numbers 1 to 24 must be allocated, therefore impossible to leave the 9 vacant this season. This administrative constraint pushes leaders to a quick decision, while Endrick's future remains vague with the 2026 World Cup in sight.
For Real, it is a Cornelian choice. Giving Endrick would be to bet on his future explosion and to anchor it in the project. Awarding it to Mastanuono would send a strong signal to the ambitions placed in the young Argentinian. In all cases, this issue abandoned by Mbappé will continue to haunt the corridors of the Bernabéu as long as a decision is not made.
