JJ Gabriel has made his final choice about his next team, with the Man Utd young star ready to leave the Premier League.
Manchester United rising star JJ Gabriel has reportedly agreed in principle to join Real Madrid after deciding to leave the Premier League club.
Back in September, Gabriel asked to leave United before turning 16, as he and his team felt he wasn’t getting enough chances to play with the senior squad under Michael Carrick.
Last week, Spanish news outlet SPORT said the transfer was “nearing its end,” with Gabriel having turned down an offer from Paris Saint-Germain. Now, he’s made his final choice.
Since deciding to leave, Gabriel has been training alone in Barcelona, but he won’t be joining Camp Nou next. Instead, Real Madrid have beaten competition from Bayern Munich, PSG, and Barcelona and agreed terms with Gabriel and his team.
He hasn’t played for United since asking to leave. United had offered him a scholarship to keep him until January 2027, but now it seems he’s moving on.
The Sun reports that Gabriel has gotten a Cypriot passport, which helps him avoid Brexit rules that affect players moving to EU clubs before they turn 18. His mother is Greek-Cypriot, and through his father, Joe O’Cearuill, he can also play for the Republic of Ireland.
Real Madrid already have a plan ready for Gabriel’s development if he joins them. According to ESPN, he would start with Real’s Castilla team, which plays in Spain’s fourth division. Castilla includes players like Thiago Pitarch, who has played 10 times for Real’s first team.
Meanwhile, United might take legal action if other clubs made any illegal moves during Gabriel’s contract with them.
Michael Carrick, United’s head coach, said he was part of talks about Gabriel’s future and emphasized the importance of looking after the young player’s wellbeing and exposure.
“He’s only 15, so we need to be careful,” Carrick said. “As a club, we want to protect our younger players in every way. We all have to be very mindful of that in this situation.”