Bayern Munich now have only an outside chance? Real Madrid reportedly reach agreement with exceptional talent
The battle to sign JJ Gabriel is intensifying. Real Madrid seem to hold the strongest hand, but Bayern Munich are reportedly still in the running too.
According to Sky, the Manchester United prodigy has reached a verbal agreement in principle with Real Madrid over a move.
A transfer could now be completed swiftly, although the two sides have yet to reach a final agreement. Other interested clubs, including Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, are reportedly not entirely out of the running for the 16-year-old.
As Bild football chief Christian Falk reports on his website cfbayerninsider, Bayern Munich still have a very real chance of signing Gabriel. Talks between Bayern and the young Englishman's team are reportedly ongoing.
With key attackers Ismael Saibari, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Muiala and Luiz Diaz unavailable through injury, Bayern could look to sign Gabriel as early as the coming winter transfer window. Reports in recent weeks also suggested Gabriel would be earmarked for the first team if an agreement were reached.
The Spanish newspaper Sport recently reported that Real Madrid were the clear frontrunners to sign Gabriel. According to the report, Gabriel had turned down PSG and stressed that he wanted to move to Spain and play in LaLiga.
Why is JJ Gabriel leaving Manchester United in the summer?
Gabriel will leave Manchester United in the summer. He has played for the Red Devils since he was 11 and scored 23 goals in 23 under-18 matches last season. His performances earned him the Under-18 Premier League's best player award. In August, he also made his professional debut, becoming the youngest United player in the club's history to play for the first team.
Under Brexit rules, Gabriel cannot normally move to another country until he is 18. In England, he can currently sign only a scholarship contract and cannot sign a professional contract until he is 17. His parents' origins could, however, provide a loophole: according to Sky, Gabriel wants to apply for a Cypriot passport. That would make a move possible as early as January.
Recently, Gabriel apparently asked Manchester United to cancel his registration with the club. The request caused "shock" at United and was "almost unprecedented", the Telegraph reported.
