Real Madrid speeds up to retain JJ Gabriel, the new Neymar case

A plane with a stopover in Madrid departs today for Barcelona, carrying the fifteen‑year‑old winger JJ Gabriel, whose future is being debated between Real Madrid and Barça while Manchester United fights to halt his departure.

Real Madrid and Gabriel's family

The young Londoner asked the English to cancel his registration just a few days ago and, this week, has already traveled to Catalonia to negotiate his exit. The stopover in the Spanish capital confirms that Real Madrid has also sat at the table with the player's family, adding to the recent signings of the white club.

At the white club they describe the situation as a new Neymar case, alluding to the 2013 bidding war that ended with the Brazilian at Barça despite Madrid's interest.

This time, moving the deal quickly and maintaining direct contact with the footballer's environment is the only way to avoid repeating the generational loss that marked the market thirteen years ago.

Barça, Bayern and PSG Interest

Barça invited Gabriel to tour its facilities in August 2024, when he met Lamine Yamal, and its interest in the left‑winger remains intact. Bayern Munich and PSG are also closely following the footballer, who has scored twenty goals in twenty‑two matches this season in the UEFA Youth League and United's Under‑18.

Real Madrid intensifies feud with Spanish journalist over TV accusations

His recent activity on social media, focused on Real Madrid and its academy accounts, fuels the reading that the balance is beginning to tip towards Chamartín.

Gabriel will turn sixteen on October 6, the minimum age to sign for a European Union club thanks to his Irish passport.

Until then, canceling his registration with Manchester United requires the agreement of the club, the player and the family; if there is none, the Premier League decides, which constitutes the real obstacle that separates Real Madrid from sealing the signing early compared with Neymar's.

For the rivalry between the two clubs to attract the best teenage talent in Europe, the outcome of this battle will set the benchmark for the coming summers.