Real Madrid News
Manchester United wonderkid in Barcelona over future talks amid Real Madrid interest
JJ Gabriel has become one of the most sought-after young players in European football after his decision to hand in a transfer request at Manchester United.
Just 15 years old, the teenage attacker is regarded as one of the most talented young prospects in England and who’s who of Europe are all fighting to secure his services.
Real Madrid have been touted as the frontrunners to sign Gabriel, although the Merengues face competition from several other teams, including arch-rivals FC Barcelona.
Gabriel in Barcelona over future talks
Now, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, Gabriel is currently in the city of Barcelona to hold talks over his next move, with both Real Madrid and Barça being seen as strong contenders to sign him.
His presence in Barcelona comes after he stopped training with the Red Devils’ youth team in recent days.
The teenage wonderkid’s preference is understood to be a move to Spain, and as such, Real Madrid and Barcelona are considered the most viable destinations for him once he leaves Manchester United.
Real Madrid’s plans for Gabriel
As previously reported, Real Madrid have been carefully working on a deal for Gabriel for months now.
The Merengues see the 15-year-old wonderkid as a future first-team star and as such intend to beat Barcelona and other interested parties like Bayern Munich to his signing.
The Spanish capital club’s idea would be to send Gabriel directly into the Castilla setup instead of the youth teams, so as to fast-track his development and put him on the quickest path to first-team football.
However, Barcelona remain very much in the race for the teenage prodigy and the fact that the winger has landed in the Catalan capital to hold discussions suggest that he has yet to make a decision on his next move, despite reports suggesting that he had chosen Los Blancos.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops in the coming days as Real Madrid and Barcelona get set to battle it out for one of Europe’s most precocious young talent.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
