JJ Gabriel, a 16-year-old Manchester United prospect, has travelled to Spain to wrap up his move to Real Madrid and has begun training in Madrid. Gabriel became free to leave Old Trafford after turning 16.
Choosing Real Madrid
Gabriel preferred Real Madrid over a number of Europe’s giants. His Cypriot passport lets him sidestep the transfer restrictions tied to Britain’s exit from the European Union.
UEFA Youth League eligibility
Gabriel cannot feature in the UEFA Youth League this season. He has already played in the competition with Manchester United and scored a hat-trick, which rules him out of representing Real Madrid in it for the rest of the season. Real Madrid had planned to add him to their reserve team. The Sun reported that Real Madrid are unhappy with Gabriel’s inability to take part in the UEFA Youth League.
Gabriel’s departure from Manchester United
In September, Gabriel told Manchester United officials he wanted to leave and submitted a formal notification of his intention to depart, despite joining the club at the age of 11.
Gabriel’s family had asked that he play for Manchester United for 20 minutes in the UEFA Champions League tie against Azerbaijan’s Sabah. Manager Michael Carrick did not grant the request, and Gabriel was then forced to train alone after announcing his desire to go.
Salary talks and personal ambition
The Sun reported that Gabriel demanded a seven-figure annual salary in talks with Bayern Munich and that Barcelona had taken an interest too.
Gabriel recently laid out his ambition to Spanish newspaper Marca, saying: “My dream is to win the Ballon d'Or”
