JJ Gabriel’s next destination remains a mystery nearly a month after he asked Manchester United to deregister him and allow him to leave.
Ineos have done their best to change his mind, but so far they have not succeeded.
Gabriel is still determined to go, and this week a clearer picture of how he will do so has started to emerge.
On Tuesday, the young footballer turned 16 and is now expected to secure a Cypriot passport, giving him European Union citizenship. That would free him to move abroad, with United due compensation under FIFA rules.
Meeting Gabriel’s wage demands is key to winning the race
However, any club interested must be prepared to pay not just the compensation to United, but also to meet the teenager’s wage demands.
Reports suggest he wants a salary of at least €1 million a year, which is roughly £16,000 to £20,000 a week.
Bayern Munich have already shown reservations about matching those figures.
Real Madrid, by contrast, appear ready to meet the financial demands that would take Gabriel to the Bernabéu.
As Bernabéu Digital put it: “Real Madrid, for its part, seems prepared to offer what both the player and Manchester United are asking, as he is considered a player of the future and could be ready to join the first team very soon.”
Barcelona will have to respond
Real Madrid’s stance is sure to rattle the race for his signature.
However, of all the young attacker’s suitors, Barcelona will be sweating the most.
Their fierce rivals look poised to beat them to the punch, even though the Catalan club have long been billed as Gabriel’s favourite destination.
Barcelona must act now or risk being left stunned.
The Peoples Person Reliability Assessment
Overall credibility: 5/10
Why?
✅ JJ Gabriel’s personal terms are a massive factor in winning the race for his signature
⚠️ No other key sources have corroborated this Real Madrid development
TPP View
We believe this outlet is simply cashing in on the speculation over Gabriel’s future to push a Real Madrid narrative.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
