Highly-rated Manchester United starlet could follow Jude Bellingham’s path to secure Real Madrid move – report

Highly-rated Manchester United starlet could follow Jude Bellingham’s path to secure Real Madrid move – report Real Madrid are closing in on the signing of Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel, who is set to sign for the club soon. The 16-year-old’s future has been a subject of debate for a couple of months now, with Los Blancos among many European giants interested in him. Barcelona, PSG and Bayern Munich were all interested in Gabriel but the player’s preference to join Real Madrid has proven to be pivotal. Now, according to Diario AS , the 16-year-old’s move to the Santiago Bernabeu is practically complete , with only the final formalities remaining. Interestingly, his European citizenship could prove crucial in facilitating the transfer. JJ Gabriel could follow Bellingham’s footsteps Gabriel was born in England, but his family background provides an important advantage when it comes to playing in Spain. His mother holds Cypriot citizenship, while his father is Irish, making the youngster eligible for European Union nationality through either side of his family. JJ Gabriel could follow Jude Bellingham’s footsteps to sign for Real Madrid (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images) That bares similarities with Jude Bellingham, who holds an Irish passport despite representing England internationally. That provision allowed Real Madrid to register the superstar as a EU player and use the non-Eu slots on other players. For Gabriel, this matters even more because of his age. FIFA generally prohibits international transfers involving players under 18. However, certain exceptions apply to 16-to-18-year-olds with European nationality, and Gabriel qualifies. Real Madrid closing in on another exciting talent It has been evident for quite some time now that Gabriel was going to leave Manchester United in search of a new club. The teenager, who turned 16 very recently, has been training independently in Spain after leaving England. Real Madrid are closing in on another coup in JJ Gabriel. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) He is now waiting to sign officially for Real Madrid and become the club’s latest excellent talent acquisition. The plan is for Gabriel to initially join Castilla, allowing him to adapt to Spanish football before potentially progressing towards Jose Mourinho’s first team. The teenager is widely considered one of the biggest talents in Europe and it remains to be seen how his development in the Spanish capital pans out.