Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are battling it out the signing of for Manchester United teenage prodigy JJ Gabriel, considered one of the most talented young prospects in Europe.
The 16-year-old wonderkid has made it clear that he has no intention of staying at the Premier League club, having already stopped training with their youth team weeks ago.
Even though Bayern Munich and PSG are also monitoring him, everything suggests that the English talent will be heading to Spain, which is his top preference.
As for his next destination, there have been conflicting reports, with some suggesting that Gabriel would prefer a move to Barça, while others claim Real Madrid are confident of signing him.
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Fabrizio Romano provides key update
Now, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid are indeed leading the race to sign Gabriel from Manchester United.
Real Madrid take the lead. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
The Spanish capital giants have been in regular contact with the teenager’s camp over a contract. At the same time, they have also been in touch with Manchester United to keep them informed about the situation.
Barcelona, for their part, also hold an interest in the English prospect, and have held a meeting with his representatives.
However, as things stand, it is Real Madrid who are firmly ahead of their arch-rivals, along with Bayern Munich and PSG as well.
Real Madrid’s plans for Gabriel
As previously reported, Real Madrid have been carefully working on a deal for Gabriel for months now.
Real Madrid’s plan would be to integrate Gabriel into the Castilla setup. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
The Merengues see the 16-year-old wonderkid as a future first-team star and as such intend to beat Barcelona and other interested parties like Bayern Munich to his signing.
The Spanish capital giants’ idea would be to send Gabriel directly into the Castilla setup instead of the youth teams, so as to fast-track his development and put him on the quickest path to first-team football.
Any move would take place in the January transfer window and could end up costing around €10-15 million, including fees, salary, commissions and other costs.
For now, Real Madrid are understood to be leading the chase.