Real Madrid striker Endrick was nudged further out the door - and potentially in the direction of Arsenal - by manager Jose Mourinho over the weekend.

The Brazil international simply can't find any consistency in the Spanish capital. A few weeks ago, Endrick looked on the verge of establishing himself as a regular fixture in Mourinho's team after he played a crucial role in Los Blancos' comeback win over AS Roma in the Champions League.

Since then, however, the 20-year-old has reverted to being an almost forgotten man. He was given his first and, to date, only start of the season against Sevilla in the immediate aftermath of the Roma game but failed to directly contribute to a goal while shoehorned out onto the right wing.

He has played just a handful of minutes since. Mourinho seems to be willing to turn to the youngster only when chasing a goal. Even in the games Real Madrid are winning comfortably, Endrick does not get any real opportunities to impress.

A two-minute cameo against RB Leipzig was followed up with a no-show in El Clasico. At the weekend, Endrick played a measly five minutes in a match against Racing Santander that Real Madrid had effectively won at half-time.

Endrick needs to leave Real Madrid

The LaLiga giants were 3-0 up after 36 minutes in their first match in Santander in well over a decade, so this would have been the perfect opportunity for Mourinho to rest his key players ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with AEK in Athens.

Instead of rotating at half-time, Mourinho only made his first substitution after 67 minutes, and he ultimately ended up making just three of his five permitted changes. Endrick came on for winger Yan Diomande in the 85th minute.

The youngster might get a chance to feature against AEK, but it is a situation that is clearly unsustainable, and there seems to be a growing acceptance in Endrick's camp that he needs to leave in January.

A few weeks ago, one of his representatives from Roc Nation was quite confident that the 20-year-old would stay at Real Madrid all season, but the agency's football chief Michael Yormack recently pushed back against this.

"He loves Madrid, he loves the team and his teammates, but at the end of the day, when you think about the lifespan of a career, it’s short, and he wants to maximise it," Yormack said. "I think his first choice would be to stay at Real Madrid, but he’s got to play."

Over the weekend, fresh links with Arsenal emerged. It was claimed that the Gunners were in ongoing contact with the Brazilian striker after already showing an interest in the summer. Viktor Gyokeres is facing an uncertain future, so the North London club are exploring replacements.

However, bringing Endrick to Arsenal is not straightforward. Real Madrid want to keep him - Mourinho has said that he will "fight" anyone trying to sign him - and are believed to be reluctant to sanction anything other than a straight loan.

Arsenal, on the other hand, would naturally like to include a permanent element in a deal. It is rare for big clubs to agree to straight loan deals. This disagreement over the structure could see Real Madrid favour other suitors.

AS Roma and AC Milan are both believed to be willing to take Endrick on a straight six-month loan. The former already came close to bringing in the wonderkid in the summer before Mourinho stepped in and blocked the deal.

Calciomercato has confirmed the interest from Arsenal, Roma and Milan and adds that Roc Nation will be crucial in a January transfer. With Real Madrid reticent to sanction an exit, the agency will have its work cut out trying to convince Mourinho and company that a move is necessary.

Endrick needs to play in order to be able to fulfil his immense potential, and he's clearly getting nowhere near enough minutes at Real Madrid. The game at the weekend was further proof that the 20-year-old needs to leave.

Whether Arsenal and the Premier League are the best destination for the diminutive striker is debatable, but it is evident that a mid-season switch is necessary.