Real Madrid close in on Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel

Real Madrid are on the verge of signing 16-year-old English prospect JJ Gabriel after reportedly beating competition from a host of Europe’s leading clubs.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea and Barcelona all contacted Gabriel’s representatives after he decided to leave Manchester United. However, Real Madrid were ahead of their rivals from the outset and the transfer is now thought to be waiting only for the final signature.

Gabriel’s departure from Old Trafford has attracted significant attention because of the records he has broken at a young age in English football. He has represented England at every youth level and scored a hat-trick on his debut in the Uefa Youth League this season.

Gabriel turned 16 on 6 October, allowing the formal process of ending his association with Manchester United to begin. He joined the club in 2022 after spells in the academies of Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham United.

He had already developed a substantial reputation before the age of 11 because of his exceptional ball skills, reportedly completing thousands of touches without allowing the ball to hit the ground. His progress at Manchester United subsequently strengthened the belief that he could fulfil his early potential.

In 2025, aged 14, Gabriel made his first appearance for Manchester United Under-18s and scored twice against Leeds United. That made him the youngest player to represent the club’s youth side. The following season, he scored 26 goals in 29 matches and was named the Premier League Under-18s Player of the Year.

Gabriel began 2026 with a hat-trick against Sabah in the Uefa Youth League. Ruben Amorim then invited him to train with the first team, before Michael Carrick handed him his senior debut in a pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, Sweden.

His father, Joe Okwuerme, has cited the lack of regular first-team opportunities as a major reason behind the decision to leave Manchester United. A former professional defender, rather than an attacker like his son, Okwuerme has played a central role in managing Gabriel’s career.

He oversaw the change to a more marketable name and helped secure a Nike sponsorship when Gabriel was 14. The agreement was considered more lucrative than the deal the American company had previously signed with teenage Brazilian forward Neymar.

Agent Ali Barat has also been influential. Barat founded Epic Sports and is well known at the Santiago Bernabeu after handling Denzel Dumfries’ move to Real Madrid last summer.

Gabriel formally requested to leave Manchester United in September. In recent weeks, he has been training in Spain with a private coach while awaiting the completion of his move.

Manchester United are expected to receive only about £300,000 in training compensation, despite predictions that Gabriel’s future value could exceed €100m.

He will initially join Real Madrid Castilla under Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff, with the aim of making his eventual move to the first team smoother and avoiding the disruption surrounding his Manchester United exit.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “JJ Gabriel’s move to Real Madrid is now imminent, as the 16-year-old talent’s representatives have informed all interested clubs of their final decision.”

He added: “The major clubs who were trying to sign Gabriel have been officially notified that he wants to move only to Real Madrid, with the final details of the agreement now being completed. The transfer is very close to being concluded.”