Real Madrid march ahead of Barcelona in race for wantaway Manchester United starlet – Romano

Real Madrid march ahead of Barcelona in race for wantaway Manchester United starlet – Romano According to reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano , Real Madrid are currently leading the race to sign Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel, who is also a target for FC Barcelona. The 16-year-old attacking midfielder is set to bid goodbye to the Premier League heavyweights, having even stopped training with their youth team since last month. A number of top clubs across Europe have shown an interest in the young prodigy, with Barcelona and Real Madrid among them. While there is interest from other big teams like Bayern Munich and PSG as well, Gabriel is understood to prefer a move to Spain, putting the El Clasico rivals at the forefront of the transfer race. Real Madrid move ahead of Barcelona Even though some reports earlier this week suggested that Barcelona were Gabriel’s preferred destination when he leaves Manchester United, it seems that he might be headed to the Spanish capital. Barcelona to miss out on Gabriel? (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) Indeed, Romano claims that, as things stand, Real Madrid have taken a lead over Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG in the race to sign the 16-year-old English gem. As per the transfer expert, the Merengues have been in contact with Gabriel’s representatives over a contract proposal. At the same time, they have also been in touch with Manchester United to inform them about the negotiations. Therefore, there is growing confidence in the Real Madrid camp that they will be able to sign the teenage attacking midfielder in January. Barcelona met with Gabriel’s agents Romano further adds that Barcelona, too, have met with Gabriel’s agents as they remain interested in adding young talents to their ranks. Real Madrid leading the race. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) This is in spite of the Blaugrana’s sporting director, Deco, distancing the club from any move for the youngster during an interview last month, when he said : “There’s nothing to say about this boy. It’s normal we always have players linked with us. There’s a huge market for that, even when they [players] are young.” The former Portugal international further clarified that Barça were not involved in any way with what was happening with Gabriel and United. “We are not interested in any player in his situation. I am not sure what’s happening, and if he’s still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that,” Deco added. “First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something. And to speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.” Despite those comments from Deco, Barcelona remain interested in signing Gabriel from Manchester United. But as things stand, it is Real Madrid who are leading the race.