Manchester United prodigy JJ Gabriel has reached a verbal agreement to join Real Madrid, according to reports. The 16-year-old academy star requested to end his registration following disagreements over his pathway into the first team.

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg broke the development in a post on X, @Plettigoal, saying Real Madrid were favourites to sign the 16-year-old and that the transfer was being pushed towards completion.

“Nothing has been signed yet,” Plettenberg noted, adding that Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain remained on standby.

The reported plan is for Gabriel to leave Manchester United as early as January 2027. However, the transfer is not yet finalised, and the necessary arrangements must still be completed before his future can be confirmed.

Real Madrid join race for Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel | Photo via Getty Images

Gabriel’s future has been uncertain since he and his representatives reportedly asked Manchester United to end his registration, following disagreements over his pathway into the senior team.

The teenager attracted attention after impressing in the club’s academy and scoring more than 20 goals for the Under-18s. His performances earned him the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award, making him one of the club’s most closely watched young prospects.

He also featured during Manchester United’s pre-season preparations and made his senior appearance in a friendly against Atletico Madrid. However, his camp reportedly wanted greater involvement in first-team football, while the club maintained that his development needed to be managed carefully.

Sky Sports reported in October that Gabriel and his family had yet to settle on his next destination, despite interest from several leading European clubs. Manchester United had also made attempts to persuade him to stay.

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Real Madrid have emerged as the leading contenders, but the race for Gabriel has involved several major clubs.

Barcelona have been linked with the forward, while Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also monitored his situation. According to Plettenberg, Bayern remained in contact but had become an outside contender as Real Madrid advanced in negotiations.

Gabriel’s potential eligibility for a European Union passport is also relevant to a move abroad while he is still under 18. Any transfer would still depend on the applicable registration and regulatory requirements.