Man Utd starlet JJ Gabriel jets off to finalise next move as Romano makes Trent comparison
Fabrizio Romano has revealed wantaway Manchester United sensation JJ Gabriel has repeatedly travelled to Spain to advance his move to Real Madrid, with the journalist also making a comparison with ex-Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold.
In September, Gabriel and his family asked Man Utd to terminate his contract, claiming the club had failed to meet promises over first-team game time. However, United were never going to let the attacking midfielder leave without a fight.
United have sent Gabriel and his camp numerous offers to try and keep him on a scholarship deal, but all of those proposals have been rejected.
Gabriel and his family are eager to secure a move to one of Europe’s most illustrious clubs.
Romano confirmed on Monday that Paris Saint-Germain have decided against advancing talks with the 16-year-old, leaving Real Madrid as strong frontrunners.
We revealed on Sunday that Madrid are confident they will win the chase for Gabriel, as negotiations between the two parties are ‘progressing positively’.
Romano has now provided the following update on YouTube: “The boy has been in Madrid for several days over recent weeks. He is training very hard to get ready for January, when he will be able to join a new club.
“Real Madrid remain very clear favourites to sign JJ Gabriel. At the moment, the expectation of all those involved is for JJ Gabriel to go to Real Madrid.
“They are way ahead of the other candidates. The agents met with several clubs, but Barcelona have different priorities, Paris Saint-Germain have different priorities, Bayern spoke with the agents of JJ Gabriel but are not advancing.
“I always told you Spain is the most likely outcome for JJ Gabriel, and now we can say that Real Madrid remain the leading side.
“It’s not a done deal as of now, but Real Madrid remain in the leading seat [and] are making progress to sign JJ Gabriel.”
The journalist went on to namecheck Alexander-Arnold as he discussed how Madrid want to maintain their working relationship with United.
“Real Madrid want to make sure not to break the relationship with Manchester United for this JJ Gabriel saga,” he said.
Real Madrid to ‘respect’ Man Utd during JJ Gabriel pursuit
“If Real Madrid complete the deal, they want to make sure everyone is aware of the situation. There will be nothing behind the scenes.
“Remember, for example, what happened with Trent Alexander-Arnold. Real Madrid tried to sign the player in January by paying a transfer fee.
“Liverpool said no, they wanted to see what [would] happen. And then, when Real Madrid signed the player on a free, they first informed Liverpool to maintain [a] good relationship.
“Obviously, JJ Gabriel is not Trent Alexander-Arnold yet, he has the potential to be an important player. But still, with a young player, Real Madrid want to be respectful.”
Gabriel and his family were initially hopeful of forcing through a swift transfer away from United when the player turned 16 on October 6. They hoped that he would be allowed to leave immediately under EU rules as he has an Irish passport.
The move has been delayed to January, yet United are still pretty much guaranteed to lose the coveted talent.
Romano has also provided his information on Michael Carrick’s future after United secured a surprise comeback win against Roma in the Champions League.
