Real Madrid have reached a verbal agreement with 16-year-old JJ Gabriel over a potential move to the Santiago Bernabeu, and they intend to sign him in the January transfer window.
Gabriel is registered with Manchester United’s academy until the end of the season. He requested to leave the club in September and has not trained with them since. Several of Europe’s leading clubs showed interest, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, but Real Madrid have made the most progress in the race to sign one of the continent’s most highly rated academy players.
A FIFA loophole allows European clubs to tie down young players to professional contracts if they hold a European passport. Gabriel qualifies through both of his parents. It is understood there has been no club-to-club contact over the teenager so far.
United’s response and possible legal action
United have indicated they will consider legal action if a move goes ahead. It is understood that the prospect of legal action is not a concern for Gabriel’s camp. When Gabriel’s camp made clear he wanted to leave, they asked for him to be de-registered immediately so that he could become a free agent.
A major factor in Gabriel’s leaning towards Real Madrid is his belief, and that of his camp, that there is a clear pathway to the first team at the Bernabeu. He is currently in Spain maintaining his fitness.
Why Gabriel wanted to leave
Gabriel and his camp felt he should have had more first-team involvement, both in pre-season and in the early stages of the season, before he handed in his transfer request in September. United felt they had done everything they could to show Gabriel and his family a clear pathway to the first team while also protecting his long-term development.
Gabriel was included in the first-team squad photo and trained with the main group during pre-season. He then came off the bench for the senior side in a pre-season friendly against AC Milan. However, the player and his family were not satisfied with the nine-minute cameo.
Gabriel had not reported back with the academy squad at the start of pre-season, as expected. The U21s returned to Carrington a week before the first team, and Gabriel was due back at the same time. His family believed that was beneath him, and felt he should only be involved in first-team training, so they pulled him out of reporting back with the U21s.
Gabriel and his family also requested that he play at least 20 minutes against Sabah in the Champions League, Brighton in the FA Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League on October 25. United chose not to include him in their Champions League A-list squad, which made him ineligible for the Sabah match. As a homegrown player, Gabriel became eligible to feature in the competition from his 16th birthday in October, when he would be added to the B-list squad. His family considered that the right moment for him to feature in first-team action.
Club sources believe the tension between the two camps stems from Gabriel’s family wanting to chase historical records, while United want to protect his long-term development.
Former players react
Merse was among those who reacted to the news. “This kid’s a good player. He’s a very good player. He could have been a superstar. Man Utd will be gutted.”
He also criticised the rules that allowed the move. “This rule has got to change. I think it’s because his mum and dad have got an Irish passport that he’s allowed to go abroad. And that needs to change.”
On the club he is heading to, Merse said: “Manchester United have worked on this kid, made him the player he is. Obviously, he’d have been gifted at the same time. The thing is, he’s going to Real Madrid. I said Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world. He’s going to the biggest club in the world. It’s not like there’s not a player in the world who wouldn’t go to Real Madrid.”
He added: “You ask any player who’s playing in the Premier League, if Real Madrid come for you, it’s very rare you turn them down. Great opportunity for the kid.”
What it means for United
United spent the past 12 months trying to convince Gabriel and his family that a pathway to the first team existed. They met Sir Alex Ferguson, Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. Gabriel also trained with the senior squad and made his first-team debut at the age of 15, against Atletico Madrid in pre-season. Ultimately, it was not enough to keep him at the club.
Gabriel and his family have no longstanding ties to United, and he was not born and raised in the north of England, where local connections might have carried more weight in his decision. Instead, his family is pursuing what they see as their dream move to Real Madrid.
Losing a talent of Gabriel’s calibre is a blow, but United will no longer have to make further concessions to accommodate a young player and his family. Such situations can risk upsetting the balance of an entire academy system. Parents and agents linked to other academy players will also take note of the tailored treatment one individual has received, and that can create expectations that are hard for a club to manage across its youth system.
The focus will soon shift to Gabriel himself. His talent is undeniable, but the question is whether the circus surrounding his exit will hinder his development, or prove to be little more than a footnote in what could be a long and illustrious career. Time will tell.