JJ Gabriel set to sign Real Madrid contract by early next week – report

JJ Gabriel set to sign Real Madrid contract by early next week – report Real Madrid are expected to complete the signing of Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel by the beginning of next week, with the 16-year-old’s move to the Spanish capital approaching its final stages.  According to journalist Ben Fernandes Santos , the agreement is close to being finalised, with the teenager having made his preference clear to the European clubs interested in securing his signature. It is to be noted that Gabriel attracted attention across Europe following his decision to leave Manchester United in September.  Real Madrid, after tough negotiations and a fight with other suitors, emerged as his preferred destination, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain among the clubs previously linked with the highly-rated forward. Manchester United fail to convince JJ Gabriel to stay Manchester United reportedly made several attempts to change Gabriel’s mind, with club executives and manager Michael Carrick holding discussions with the player and his representatives.  Real Madrid could announce JJ Gabriel’s signing by next week. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) However, those efforts did not alter his intention to pursue a move to Real Madrid. The teenager requested to leave United in September and has since been training independently in Spain while his future is being resolved.  His decision became clearer when he was asked to choose between Barcelona and Real Madrid . “Obviously, Real Madrid,” he said. As reported before, Real Madrid had reached a verbal agreement with the teenager and were confident of signing him. However, formal club-to-club negotiations had not yet taken place until a few weeks back. Real Madrid have a clear development plan Real Madrid have won the race for JJ Gabriel. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) Real Madrid are understood to want Gabriel to begin his development with Castilla , allowing him to experience senior football while remaining close to the first-team environment. The Spanish club believe their pathway offers an attractive opportunity for the teenager to progress towards the senior squad.  His representative, Ali Barat, has been involved in discussions over the move, while reports have also suggested that Jose Mourinho played a role in convincing Gabriel that Madrid would be the right destination. All in all, Real Madrid are set to sign the highly-rated teenager, and the official announcement could be arriving soon.