Manchester United appear increasingly likely to lose JJ Gabriel, with Real Madrid stepping up their pursuit of the highly rated 16-year-old forward.

Gabriel has been away from United’s first-team setup since making it clear he wants to leave Old Trafford, and his future is now approaching a decision.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have all shown interest, but the Spanish giants appear to be pushing hardest to secure one of England’s most exciting academy prospects.

For United, losing Gabriel would be particularly painful given the enormous expectations surrounding him at Carrington.

Real Madrid submit significant offer for Gabriel

According to SPORT, Real Madrid have made a significant offer to Gabriel and are increasingly confident of winning the race for his signature.

Barcelona remain interested despite previously distancing themselves publicly, while Bayern Munich have also spoken with the teenager’s representatives.

Gabriel reportedly intends to decide his future before the end of October.

United have attempted to repair the relationship and offered him a scholarship deal, but his camp remains unhappy with his pathway towards regular first-team football. Gabriel has been training away from the club while considering his options.

Losing Gabriel would be a major setback for Man United

The level of interest tells its own story.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson offered huge praise for Gabriel when discussing his situation, saying:

“First of all, he’s an unbelievable talent.”

He later added: “Believe me, this kid is an unbelievable talent. They’ll have every club in the world wanting him.” The comments were published by Sky Sports.

That is why this situation should concern United. Gabriel won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award last season after scoring more than 20 goals for the Under-18s, and he opened this season with a Youth League hat-trick.

Real Madrid can offer an elite development environment, but breaking immediately into their senior attack would hardly be straightforward either.

From United’s perspective, the bigger issue is allowing such a prized academy talent to become convinced his future is elsewhere.

If Gabriel chooses Madrid, the financial loss may be relatively small compared with the frustration of watching another club develop a player United believed could eventually become a first-team star.