JJ Gabriel huge salary demands revealed

Manchester United’s academy saga involving JJ Gabriel has rumbled on for weeks with no resolution in sight.

The 16-year-old was due to make his senior debut against Brighton in the Carabao Cup last month, only for the plan to collapse once his camp submitted a formal request to cancel his registration.

He has not trained at Carrington since, instead working with a private coach in Castelldefels while regularly visiting Barcelona, a club that has publicly distanced itself from the chase despite widespread reports of interest.

Michael Carrick has repeatedly urged caution over how the situation is handled, saying last month, “He’s a young boy, he’s 15 and the biggest thing for me definitely and as a club point of view is looking after our younger players.

“Their welfare, their wellbeing, their exposure.”

JJ Gabriel turned 16 yesterday, meaning he’s now eligible to agree a move to a club in the European Union through his Irish and Cypriot heritage.

Bayern Munich are the latest club to join the race, with the Bundesliga giants having held talks with Gabriel’s representatives and promised an immediate pathway into their first team.

Bayern have been in contact since February, with sporting director Christoph Freund’s assistant overseeing negotiations, and Vincent Kompany is said to be a known admirer of the teenager.

JJ Gabriel huge salary demands revealed

According to SPORT, JJ Gabriel’s camp is demanding an incredible seven-figure salary, a figure Bayern have so far been unwilling to meet alongside an accompanying signing fee.

That financial hurdle leaves Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as his other most realistic destinations, with Real Madrid still considered the front-runner having been in the picture since the saga first broke.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen were also previously credited with interest, though both have since cooled their pursuit over the same financial demands now complicating Bayern’s own approach.

United, for their part, are refusing to cancel Gabriel’s registration, meaning he cannot move to a domestic rival until the arrangement expires next summer, even if a move abroad remains possible.

Whether any of Europe’s interested clubs are willing to meet Gabriel’s financial demands may ultimately decide where the Carrington prodigy’s long and increasingly messy saga finally comes to an end.