Real Madrid are plotting a stunning move to land JJ Gabriel with the Spanish giants determined to beat bitter rivals Barcelona to the Manchester United wonderkid’s signature.
United’s hierarchy have been rocked at the breakdown in relations between Gabriel’s family and the club following a bombshell request by the player to leave.
Confidential understands one of the factors behind the move is Gabriel’s limited minutes in pre-season – the 15-year-old featured in just one game, coming off the bench against Atletico Madrid – with relatives unhappy that he hasn’t already broken into Michael Carrick’s side this season and made a first-team debut.
It has become a source of real contention although, ironically, Gabriel was set to be included in the squad to face Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night – a move that has now been scrapped.
Respected figures in academy circles have told Confidential that Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid are now seen as a major threat to Barcelona’s hopes of signing the youngster, with a number of England’s top clubs aware that it may now come down to a tug-of-war between the two Spanish giants.
Because he owns an Irish passport, Gabriel is eligible to join a team in Europe at the age of 16. English players are only allowed to go abroad at 18 under current rules.
Man United’s hierarchy have been rocked at the breakdown in relations between JJ Gabriel’s family and the club following a bombshell request by the player to leave
Gabriel has been around the United first team at Carrington but his lack of pre-season minutes is understood to be a factor in his desire to depart
That has opened the door for a switch to Spain – long the dream destination for the player and his family.
It would be a huge blow to United, not least because the club would only be due around £300,000 in compensation if he moves abroad, compared to a significantly higher fee if he joins a club in England.
During a tour of Barcelona’s facilities in August 2024, Gabriel was introduced to Lamine Yamal as a sweetener for the visit. Yamal signed a Barcelona shirt and posed for a photo. Bayern Munich have also had scouts at numerous youth games to follow Gabriel’s progress, too.
United have been aware of the threat of Barcelona, and latterly Real Madrid, in poaching their premier talent for some time and took a number of emergency measures.
However, they have no plans to rip up his current contract, which runs until the end of the season, and de-register the player who has started the season in electric form, scoring on his debut for the Under 21s and claiming a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut.
Gabriel, who has been at United since he was 11, was in line to pen a first-year scholarship at 16 and that would have automatically triggered a lucrative professional contract on his 17th birthday.
The cancellation feels like a non-starter on United’s end, but the fine details of his current deal are the least of United’s problems. Losing him to one of the two top clubs in Spain would be a hammer blow for Ineos and their aggressive plans to overhaul United’s academy.
Premier League rules state: ‘During your child’s registration period, their registration may only be cancelled if everyone agrees (the club, player and their parent/carer).
‘If the parties don’t agree, then any person involved can also ask the Premier League to provide a binding decision on a termination request.’
Following Gabriel at close quarters has been fascinating viewing as United have been acutely aware in the past two years that they would need to fight tooth and nail to convince him his long-term future lies in Manchester.
United have been aware of the threat of Barcelona, and latterly Real Madrid, in poaching their premier talent for some time and took a number of emergency measures
They have no plans to rip up his current contract, which runs until the end of the season
As Daily Mail Sport revealed recently, the plan was for him to be included in the matchday squad against Brighton, allowing him to become the club’s youngest-ever player by breaking David Gaskell’s record set in 1956.
That has had to be ripped up in light of his request to leave, and it remains unclear if Gabriel will be available for selection on Friday when the Under 21s host Brentford at Leigh Sports Village. He has not trained either yesterday or today.
Last summer, it was reported that Gabriel and his family looked to have lost faith in the United project and were ready to leave, with Manchester City and Arsenal among the potential landing spots for the youngster. City in particular were at one stage confident they could snag him.
Director of football Jason Wilcox intervened, as did head of negotiations Matt Hargreaves, and they both managed to successfully convince the player there was a route to the first team. Being part of the 2026 pre-season tour was raised then, and United were true to their word this summer.
Carrick’s predecessor, Ruben Amorim, spent countless hours watching footage of Gabriel’s clips on the team plane between destinations during the 2025 tour. Going back even further, the club’s former sporting director Dan Ashworth was a major advocate of fast-tracking Gabriel.
United facilitated a personal introduction with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson in December last year and the youngster described it as a ‘great honour’.
In younger age groups, United were also much more relaxed to Gabriel’s schedule, allowing the family to take breaks at various points in the season, including to Spain.
Key figures such as recruitment chief Christopher Vivell also made a conscious effort to make Gabriel feel a focal point for the club’s future.
Gabriel went on all bar one of the trips this pre-season, has received glowing praise from Carrick, who has regularly been to watch him at Leigh Sports Village, and has regularly been in first-team training sessions, leaving a lasting impression on the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, Andrey Santos and Marcus Rashford.
Sources close to the player did not respond to request for comment from Confidential.
Gabriel has received glowing praise from Michael Carrick, who has regularly been to watch him at Leigh Sports Village
No Bruno panic
United bosses are refusing to panic over Bruno Fernandes’ new contract despite concerns that negotiations have reached a stalemate.
United’s captain, who has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or after winning the PFA Player of the Year award, has nine-and-a-half months left on his current £220,000-a-week deal, although the club have the option to extend it by another year.
Insiders have told Confidential that United want Fernandes to stay and are relaxed over the situation given the length of time they have to agree new terms.
While he has been a talismanic figure at Old Trafford since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in 2020, the Portugal star turned 32 last week and United have been trying to move some of their highest earners off the wage bill.
Last year, they were prepared to accept a bid in excess of £100million from Al-Hilal for Fernandes, who rejected personal terms of around £200m over three years following talks between the Saudi club and his agent Miguel Pinho in Riyadh, and later admitted to feeling ‘hurt’ that United were ready to let him go.
There was fresh speculation in the summer, even though the £56.7m release clause in his contract expired in July, and Galatasaray were understood to be offering to double his wages as well as hand him a £3.5m signing-on fee.
Unless United can offer Fernandes a package to persuade him to stay before the end of the year, he will be able to speak to foreign clubs from January, but the club will hope to make a breakthrough in talks before then.
United bosses are refusing to panic over Bruno Fernandes’ new contract despite concerns that negotiations have reached a stalemate
Jarrad back on Reds’ radar
United have renewed an interest in Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite as they prepare to rebuild their defence for next season.
Confidential understands that contact has been made with the 24-year-old’s representatives, and United may consider a bid in January or the summer.
The club had two offers of up to £50m for Branthwaite rejected by Everton in 2024, and signed Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich instead.
But De Ligt has been out of action for nearly a year after back surgery, and both Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez will be out of contract next summer – although United have an option to activate a 12-month extension for both players.
With Luke Shaw also set to become a free agent in June, and no indication at the moment that United’s longest-serving player will stay at Old Trafford beyond that, big changes are expected to the back-four after this summer’s midfield rebuild and the new signings made in attack last year.
They may consider offering a player in return for Branthwaite, although it remains to be seen if Everton would be open to letting him leave after banking in excess of £80m for Iliman Ndiaye and Beto this summer.
Contact has been made with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite’s representatives, and United may consider a bid in January or the summer
United deny VIP bias
United have strenuously denied suggestions that players have been told not to sign autographs for non-VIP supporters on matchdays.
A video of Noussair Mazraoui being interviewed by TNT Sports as the players arrived for the Sabah game last Thursday went viral after his team-mates were spotted walking to the right of the Moroccan and shaking hands with supporters who purchased VIP packages instead of those standing on the other side of the entrance.
It has led to claims that players have been specifically instructed by club officials to head for the VIP section, but the club have stressed to Confidential that that is wide of the mark.
They say that while hospitality guests have a special viewing area of team arrivals – which was in place last season too – there is no obligation for players to stop for anybody, let alone avoid a certain group of supporters.
Under Carrick, players have a pre-match meeting inside the dressing room, and so the bulk of them don’t stop to sign autographs before the game.
But many do so frequently after matches – with the likes of Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes prominent among them – which is what triggered such an angry response from Under 18s boss Darren Fletcher last week when one fan was directing abuse at him for not granting every single autograph request. Fletcher made it plain that abuse thrown by some supporters dissuades many from stopping at all.
No stress over Sesko
Benjamin Sesko has been at the centre of simmering club-versus-country tensions since arriving at Old Trafford in a £74m deal last year, but the Slovenia striker’s national team manager has backed United’s handling of his shin problem – and revealed that it was ‘quite a serious injury’.
Sesko hasn’t played for his country for almost a year since a goalless World Cup qualifier against Switzerland, missing the friendly internationals against Hungary, Montenegro, Cyprus and Croatia.
When the 23-year-old pulled out of the squad in March after United said they had been ‘carefully managing the issue’, Slovenia boss Bostjan Cesar insisted on his medical staff assessing the player in Ljubljana and warned that he would not be pushed around by the club.
However, Cesar has struck a more conciliatory tone after naming Sesko in his squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Scotland, North Macedonia and Switzerland.
‘I’m very happy that he’s back in a competitive rhythm and the injury is finally repaired,’ said Cesar. ‘I have spoken to him and I believe Benjamin Sesko will come to the camp.
‘I’ve been (aware of the) situation with his injury since March. It was quite a serious injury, and I think they handled it altogether in the right way to get him into the training process so slowly.
‘For me as a coach, but also for all of us, for the whole of Slovenia, it is very important that Benjamin is now healthy and that he comes back to the national team after a long time.’
Having recovered from the injury after being given extra time off by United in the summer, Sesko has scored twice in five games and could be in line for a start against Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Benjamin Sesko has scored twice in five games and could be in line for a start against Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night
Opportunity knocks for Santos
We’re only a month into the season, but this already feels like a pivotal week for Andrey Santos and his prospects for regular game-time in a United shirt.
United’s £50m summer signing started alongside fellow new arrival Youri Tielemans at Hull City on the opening weekend, but they were exposed by the way United set up and the 2-0 defeat paved the way for Kobbie Mainoo to come into the side at Santos’ expense.
Since playing 67 minutes against Hull, Santos has had a grand total of 16 minutes in the Premier League, and only a further 26 minutes in the win over Sabah, for a total of 42 minutes of action since August 22.
Almost a month on, and with £70m acquisition Carlos Baleba training at Carrington as he prepares for his United debut after the international break, Santos knows that a rare opportunity against Brighton on Wednesday could prove hugely decisive in his bid for regular minutes.
Carrick has shown thus far a preference to play two No 8s together in Mainoo and Tielemans, leaving Santos in reserve.
Brighton at home in the Carabao Cup should give him his opportunity. With Baleba on the comeback trail, it’s paramount Santos takes it.
Since playing 67 minutes against Hull, Andrey Santos has had a grand total of 16 minutes in the Premier League
Fans vow to march on
The protesters who marched against United’s owners before Sunday’s Manchester derby have warned that they will continue to fight back against any ‘bullying’ from the club.
Around 500 fans took part in a demonstration organised by protest group The 1958 outside Old Trafford, while The Red Army took down all the flags and banners in the Stretford End except one that read: ‘The way you treat us is a disgrace.’
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Avram Glazer were there to witness the backlash to United’s recent clampdown on ticket touting, which the protesters claim has targeted innocent fans.
The 1958 are weighing up their next move, and issued a statement telling fans: ‘Whatever this club does to eradicate the time-served match-going Red, you know you have been on the right side of history.
‘We will continue the fight on all fronts. Protecting the culture. Protect the traditions. Protect the match-going fan. Protect what is left for the next generation.
‘We will continue to protest against the way season-ticket holders and match-going Reds have been treated. The club simply can’t get away with this level of bullying again.
‘Our fight has always been for a full sale of the club and a change in owners – this will never change.’
For the Manchester derby, the Red Army took down all the flags and banners in the Stretford End except one that read: ‘The way you treat us is a disgrace’
Noah’s arc
A word on the academy and specifically Noah Ajayi. The 17-year-old, who continues to be closely tracked by teams in his homeland of Germany, has started the season with a bang for United’s Under 18s and Under 19s.
Ajayi was a consideration for the first team’s pre-season tour of Europe, but was sidelined for most of the summer through injury.
Now fit and back in form, the youngster looks a real threat and is set to play a role across the Under 18s, Under 19s and Under 21s as the season progresses.
Those who work closely with Ajayi believe that he is one of the academy’s biggest talents right now. At his current trajectory, he should be involved in first-team training sessions in the coming months – not least because his size and physicality gives him an advantage over other young players.
There are a number of promising youngsters in the pipeline at Carrington right now, and optimism is sky high when it comes to Ajayi.
Those who work closely with Noah Ajayi believe that he is one of the academy’s biggest talents right now
Dalot’s a happy camper
Diogo Dalot made his 250th appearance in the Manchester derby, and after eight years at Old Trafford – including one on loan at AC Milan – the Portugal defender knows how important the Manchester United Foundation is to the club and their supporters.
Dalot recently spent time at one of the foundation’s government-funded holiday camps, taking part in games with young people as part of the holiday activities and food programme.
The foundation puts on three camps during the summer in Salford, Stretford and Partington to make sure children between the ages of eight and 14 stay active out of school time, as well as providing healthy meals and childcare places free of charge.
Speaking at the Partington event, Dalot said: ‘It’s always special to give back to the foundation. It’s great to see the kids enjoying themselves, playing football and having smiles on their faces. Moments like these remind me of being their age and chasing my dream.’
