Romano reveals the ‘clear favourites’ to sign Man Utd wantaway who will leave in January
Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel is on his way out of Carrington, with Real Madrid closing in on an agreement with his entourage.
The immensely talented forward is considered one of the most exciting teenagers on the planet. But while Man Utd fans were anticipating his senior debut this season, he hasn’t reported to training since September.
Gabriel was said to be irritated with how the club has been managing his path. For instance, he was expecting to be part of the Champions League squad and earn a cameo during the 4-0 win over Sabah, but Michael Carrick preferred to register the injured Manuel Ugarte on his UEFA squad list.
Real Madrid making concrete steps to sign JJ Gabriel
Due to his young age, Gabriel has yet to sign a professional contract. He is tied to the club through a youth contract that only runs until June 2027.
Moreover, a loophole in the regulations could allow Gabriel to rescind his contract in the middle of the campaign and move to another European country, only if he possesses an EU passport, either through his Irish father or his Greek-Cypriot mother.
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 16-year-old is expected to leave Man Utd for good in January, and his most likely destination is Real Madrid.
The Italian journalist insists that Los Merengues are the ‘very clear favourites’ in the race, as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have other priorities. Bayern Munich have made an approach, but they weren’t able to make concrete progress like the Spanish capital giants.
Romano adds that Gabriel has already been in Madrid in recent weeks, suggesting that the negotiations are about to reach their final stages, although it cannot be considered a ‘done deal’ just yet.
Moreover, the transfer market expert notes that Real Madrid do not want to antagonise Man Utd in the process, so they’ll make sure to finalise the deal in the most diplomatic way possible to maintain their good relationships with their Premier League counterparts.
Gabriel now belongs to Man Utd’s past
At this stage, we can confidently say that convincing Gabriel to stay at United is a lost cause, as the teenager and his entourage have long vanished from Carrington, and they will find a way to leave the club sooner or later.
This will go down as one of the most disappointing MUFC exits in recent years, and denying it would be disingenuous based on what the teenager produced in recent seasons.
Nevertheless, the club’s youth sector is still brimming with exciting talents like Noah Ajayi and Kai Rooney, while Shea Lacey has been living proof of what some of the club’s academy products can achieve at the senior level when given the opportunity.
