Real Madrid confident of signing Man Utd's Gabriel
Real Madrid lead the race for 16-year-old Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel, who has been training alone in Spain since September.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Real Madrid are the leading contenders to sign 16-year-old JJ Gabriel.
- The forward has not returned to Manchester United since leaving in September.
- Gabriel has secured a European Union passport to ease his move abroad.
Real Madrid are reportedly confident of winning the race to secure the signature of Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel, as the 16-year-old seeks senior football opportunities and has been training independently in Spain.
Gabriel's situation unfolded after he failed to return to United following his departure from the club back in September. His availability immediately caught the attention of several elite European clubs, including Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid have emerged as the clear frontrunners.
Photo by Alex Simpson / Unsplash
The young talent previously made headlines by scoring a hat-trick on his debut in the UEFA Youth League. Furthermore, Gabriel has successfully obtained a European Union passport, which is expected to simplify the process of completing a transfer to a club outside of England.
Manchester United will still be due compensation should the youngster officially depart, although the fee is set to be lower if he joins a team outside the Premier League. Last season, Gabriel earned the Premier League Under-18 player of the season accolade despite being only 14 years old when the campaign began.
"We've got to be really careful of the whole situation."
Michael Carrick, Manchester United head coach
The case of JJ Gabriel highlights the ongoing dilemma top Premier League clubs face in retaining elite academy prospects when players seek senior-level exposure elsewhere. Combined with EU passport regulations and international compensation rules, young talents have increasingly viable pathways to pursue opportunities with continental European giants.
Source: BBC Sport
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment