Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel is now reportedly expected to seal a transfer to Real Madrid in January, according to David Ornstein.
The 16-year-old has been the subject of plenty of speculation in recent times after emerging as one of the most exciting young talents in Man Utd’s academy, even though he’s yet to play a single minute of senior football for the club.
Having decided to leave Old Trafford, Gabriel was recently linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain by Sport, with that piece from a few days ago also suggesting he was leaning towards the Bernabeu.
Now that Ornstein has reported on it, it seems like we can pretty much call it a done deal at this point…
? JJ Gabriel expected to sign for Real Madrid from Manchester United in Jan. Interest from likes of PSG, Barcelona, Bayern Munich + #MUFC tried to retain but 16yo attacker chose #RMFC & set to join on long-term contract subject to FIFA regs @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/rFVGkSbkMw
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) November 4, 2026
“JJ Gabriel expected to sign for Real Madrid from Manchester United in Jan. Interest from likes of PSG, Barcelona, Bayern Munich + #MUFC tried to retain but 16yo attacker chose #RMFC & set to join on long-term contract subject to FIFA regs,” Ornstein posted on X.
Still, it’s clear that a lot of other top clubs also wanted the English teenager, such as Bayern Munich, as reported by Christian Falk on CF Bayern Insider.
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Real Madrid snap up JJ Gabriel in major blow to Manchester United
Make no mistake about it, even if Gabriel doesn’t quite live up to his enormous potential, there is real significance in this move – and it’s not good news for United.
For so long, the Red Devils were seen as a major force in the game, but now one of their own homegrown players has decided he’d be better off leaving before even kicking a ball for their first-team.
One imagines Gabriel fancies he has better chances of winning trophies in Madrid than in Manchester, but why such a rush to do that at such a young age?
Well, it’s also clear that MUFC are no longer trusted as a good option for young players still learning and developing, which paints a pretty bleak future for the club in terms of recruiting the kind of talents they want, not to mention bringing through their own.