•JJ Gabriel
Real Madrid have joined the race to sign Manchester United academy player JJ Gabriel, with several major European clubs also reportedly interested in the highly rated teenager.
The 15-year-old has formally notified Manchester United that he wants to cancel his registration with immediate effect, although the club has the right to challenge the request, reports BBC Sport.
Gabriel, who turns 16 on October 6, has attracted interest from several leading clubs across Europe, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
However, sources indicate that Real Madrid’s efforts to sign the forward are particularly strong, with the Spanish giants reportedly keen to recruit him immediately and place him with Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s reserve side.
Unlike academy football in England, Castilla compete in Spain’s senior football system and currently play in the country’s regionalised third tier.
Sources close to Gabriel say the player and his representatives feel let down by Manchester United, claiming that assurances about his pathway towards the first team have not been fulfilled.
United, however, have not given up hope of retaining the teenager and are understood to be uncertain about the precise reasons behind his decision to leave.
Gabriel is currently not training with the club.
United had reportedly anticipated that Gabriel could become their youngest-ever senior player by featuring in their EFL Cup tie against Brighton.
However, United lost the match 3-2 after taking a 2-0 lead.
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick, who handed Gabriel his senior debut during a pre-season match against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, urged caution when discussing the teenager’s situation.
“I just think we’ve got to be really careful of the whole situation,” Carrick said after the Brighton game.
“He’s a young boy. He’s 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, looking after our younger players – their welfare, their well-being, their exposure – we’ve got to be really conscious of that in this situation.”
Sources close to Gabriel have rejected concerns about his age and physicality, pointing to Arsenal teenager Max Dowman, who made his senior debut at 15, as an example of a club trusting a young player at first-team level.
Real Madrid are not the only club monitoring Gabriel, with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Chelsea also understood to have a strong interest.
Any immediate move away from Old Trafford could be complicated by regulations governing the registration of young players.
Manchester United maintain that Gabriel’s registration runs until the end of the season, meaning it could be easier for him to leave once the campaign ends, by which time he will be 16.
However, because Gabriel holds an EU passport, he may be eligible to join a club within the European Union when he turns 16.
For now, his future remains uncertain, with Manchester United hoping to retain one of their highly rated academy prospects amid strong interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
