Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel is expected to sign for Real Madrid in January, with major outlets reporting that the 16-year-old has picked the Spanish giants ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Athletic reports that Manchester United made a strong offer to keep him, but that he is set to sign a long-term deal at the Bernabeu subject to FIFA approval. Sky Sports reported on Wednesday (November 4) that Madrid had reached a verbal agreement with Gabriel’s camp, while adding that there has been no club-to-club contact.
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Those close to the teenager have been pushing for an exit since September. Gabriel scored a hat-trick for the under-19s against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League on September 10 and then asked for his registration to be cancelled, and he has not trained at Carrington since. His family had wanted first-team minutes against Sabah, Brighton and Bournemouth, while the club pointed to a scholarship offer and a plan to protect his development.
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick said in September that the club had to be “really careful of the whole situation”. The club has not given up entirely: chief executive Omar Berrada has been involved in attempts to keep the teenager, and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is aware of developments, according to The Athletic.
Madrid plan to use him in Castilla and in the UEFA Youth League. For Manchester United the loss is financial as well as sporting. Because he would move outside England, the fee would be training compensation rather than a transfer fee, reported between £100,000 and £350,000, and Sky Sports reported in October that the Red Devils would consider legal action against any European club that signs him while he remains registered to them.
Why is Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel so highly sought after?
The numbers explain the queue. Gabriel was named Under-18 Premier League Player of the Season last term despite being 14 for much of the campaign, and he became the youngest winner of the club’s Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award. He marked his UEFA Youth League debut with a hat-trick against Sabah in September.
A left winger or No. 10, Gabriel joined the academy at 11, and a skills video filmed at eight had already earned him the nickname “Kid Messi”. A Manchester United source called him “the best 15-year-old in Europe”, and The Athletic noted that some in the industry see a future £100m player.
That is why Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all held talks, and why United are so keen to keep him.
Edited by Vignesh Raja
