Manchester United set to pursue legal action as 16-year-old JJ Gabriel edges closer to Real Madrid

Manchester United are bracing for a legal dispute with Real Madrid after 16-year-old winger JJ Gabriel reportedly agreed to join the Spanish club, with United yet to receive any formal approach from either the player’s camp or Real Madrid.

Gabriel, who turned 16 in October, requested a move away from United in September, citing frustration at being made to wait for a first-team debut and concerns over the club’s declining status in recent years. He has not responded to repeated contact attempts from United since last playing for the club that month, and has been training in Castelldefels, Barcelona, in the intervening period.

After attracting interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, Gabriel has now set his sights on Real Madrid. Spanish reports claim he has been offered a three-year contract worth more than £850,000 (€1m) per season, with agent Ali Bharat and his family understood to have helped facilitate the move.

The sticking point is compensation. United still hold Gabriel’s registration and are unwilling to let one of Europe’s most highly-rated young players leave for a nominal fee. Once FIFA approve the transfer, the regulated compensation figure would fall between £100,000 and £300,000 — a sum United consider far below his market value. The club is therefore prepared to pursue legal action against Real Madrid to recover what it believes is a fair return.

The case echoes a broader trend of tribunal disputes over elite youth talent. In February, Liverpool were ordered to pay Chelsea £2.8 million in compensation for Rio Ngumoha in a similarly contested case.

Gabriel, who joined United’s academy at Carrington in 2022, has secured a European Union passport, which will ease the administrative path to a move abroad. United, however, remain aggrieved at the manner in which the teenager has sought to force through his exit, having invested significantly in his development over the past three years.