JJ Gabriel has spoken publicly after requesting to leave Manchester United, amid reports of a possible move to Real Madrid.
Gabriel speaks to Marca
Marca reported that Gabriel spoke to the Spanish newspaper alongside his father after a session with his personal trainer. While posing for a photo with his copy, Gabriel asked: “Can I keep it?”
He confirmed: “My dream is to win a Ballon d’Or.” Marca also questioned the teenager about why Madrid is better than Barcelona, to which Gabriel said: “Obviously, Madrid.”
Marca declares transfer imminent
Marca’s front cover, featuring a photo of Gabriel, declares that his transfer to Real Madrid is imminent.
Football365 reported that Gabriel’s agent, Ali Barat, is already looking for accommodation in Madrid for Gabriel and his family while negotiating the terms of his new contract.
Football365 reported that Real Madrid have reportedly offered Gabriel a three-year contract worth more than £850,000 (€1m) per season.
Manchester United consider legal action
Football365 reported that Manchester United are considering legal action against Real Madrid to seek compensation beyond the fee of between £100,000 and £300,000 that FIFA usually insists upon in these situations. Football365 reported that Manchester United have not yet been contacted by Real Madrid.
Giggs urges patience
When asked about Gabriel’s situation at Manchester United, Red Devils hero Ryan Giggs told Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel: “So far in his career everything is going fine, why would you disrupt that? You’re on the right track. I trained at 15, I didn’t play for the first team until two years later so you have to have that patience that people just don’t seem to have at the moment. And believe it or not, first-team football for Man United is completely different to playing in the youth team, playing pre-season for the first team, it’s completely different. That first game, yeah, you might do alright, but you have to do it for 40, 50 games a season. You’re going to get injuries, loss of form, bad results, so you have to be patient. If you’re on the right trajectory then just bide your time, no matter how good you are. Max Dowman is unbelievable but he’s not playing for Arsenal at the moment. I’m sure he’ll bide his time, I’m sure he’s getting impatient, but he’s not kicking off, he knows in a couple of years time he might be the main man for Arsenal.”
