Real Madrid plan for JJ Gabriel revealed

Manchester United’s academy has rarely produced a talent generating quite the level of buzz currently surrounding one 15-year-old at Carrington.

JJ Gabriel made history two seasons ago when, aged just 14, he came off the bench to score twice in a 13-1 demolition of Leeds, becoming the youngest player ever to feature for United’s Under-18s.

That was merely the beginning. He went on to score 26 goals and add four assists in 29 appearances last season, a return that worked out to roughly a goal involvement every 82 minutes, playing up an entire age group throughout.

His season brought a hat-trick against Liverpool, a starring role in United’s run to the FA Youth Cup final, where they eventually lost to Manchester City, and two individual honours to close out the season: the inaugural Premier League Under-18 Player of the Season award and United’s own Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year prize, making him the youngest recipient in the award’s history, breaking the record previously held by Angel Gomes.

Despite already training with United’s first team on multiple occasions, FA regulations meant a senior debut remained out of reach last season regardless of his form.

Real Madrid are now among the clubs trying to sign JJ Gabriel, with the teenager having sent United formal notice this week that he wants to cancel his registration with immediate effect.

United retain the right to challenge that request, though the club has been left stunned by the timing given the effort already made to keep him at Carrington.

Barcelona have pursued Gabriel for years, largely due to his Irish passport, which would allow him to turn professional within the European Union from 16 rather than waiting until 18 like most of his English teammates.

Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also credited with firm interest, alongside two unnamed Premier League clubs continuing to track his progress, but multiple sources have described Real Madrid’s efforts as the strongest of the lot.

The Spanish club want to sign Gabriel immediately and fast-track him straight into Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s reserve side, as reported by BBC Sport.

Unlike academy football in England, Castilla compete in senior men’s football, playing in the regionalised third tier of the Spanish pyramid, offering Gabriel a route to competitive first-team minutes years before he could realistically expect them at Old Trafford.

Gabriel’s own social media activity has only fuelled the growing sense that Real Madrid may be winning the race, with his Instagram account now following the club, their academy side, La Liga itself, and a lengthy list of Los Blancos first-team players.

He has also deleted every previous post about United from his page, a move widely interpreted as a signal of where his priorities currently lie.