Real Madrid News
Real Madrid ‘very confident’ of signing 15-year-old Manchester United wonderkid – report
One of the hottest transfer topics in the past week has been the developments surrounding Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel.
Days before he was set to receive a call-up to the Red Devils’ first-team squad for the Carabao Cup game against Brighton, he dropped a bombshell by asking to leave.
Subsequently, it emerged that Real Madrid had been working behind the scenes to bring the Englishman to the Santiago Bernabeu.
According to journalist Mario Cortegana, Los Blancos are now “very confident” that they will sign the 15-year-old striker.
It is the strongest indication yet that Madrid believe their long-running work on the English prospect can produce the desired outcome.
Madrid confidence growing
The 2010-born forward has long been heralded as one of Manchester United’s biggest academy talents in recent times.
Madrid’s interest is not just about adding a talented prospect to their ranks, but rather bringing in a future first-team player ahead of the curve.
The Spanish club are bullish about the teenager’s potential and are moving aggressively to sign Gabriel from the English club.
A complicated deal because of his age
There are still important obstacles before the deal turns into a permanent transfer.
Gabriel’s age makes the operation particularly sensitive because international transfers involving minors are governed by strict FIFA regulations.
Madrid are well aware of those restrictions and have approached the situation cautiously. It is one of the main reasons they have kept things under wraps.
The eventual plan would be for Gabriel to develop with Castilla while also being eligible to feature in the UEFA Youth League.
The teenager is already attracting attention with his performances for United, strengthening Madrid’s belief that they are pursuing a player with an unusually high ceiling.
Real Madrid and the rest of the world see something special
Madrid are not the only club interested in JJ Gabriel, with clubs like Barcelona and others in England also keeping an eye on his situation.
If there is one advantage for Los Blancos, it is that they have worked on a deal for quite some time now and could be ahead in the race.
There is still a considerable distance between being confident of a future signing and actually completing all the necessary steps, especially with a player this young.
If the operation eventually goes through, Madrid would be signing a player the entire world considers truly special, and it remains to be seen how the negotiations play out.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho sticks to his Champions League tradition ahead of Real Madrid’s clash vs AS Roma
Real Madrid are set to take on AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in Italy.
Having returned from the international break with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, Los Blancos will be eager to build on it and record their second win in Europe, after beating Inter Milan last month.
Mourinho continues his tradition
And, as reported by Diario AS, the Real Madrid squad trained at Valdebebas before travelling for their Champions League fixture, just as they did during Jose Mourinho’s first spell in charge between 2010 and 2013.
The approach breaks with the usual Champions League routine of training at the opposition’s stadium on the eve of a match.
Real Madrid had largely remained an exception to this trend. Mourinho was the first to change the club’s established procedure, but after his departure in 2013, the routine had returned.
Now, the club are going back to the approach he introduced. Following the training session, the squad will fly to Rome in the afternoon.
Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa followed the same approach
Xabi Alonso revived the practice last season in order to avoid giving direct access to his team’s preparations to the opposition. After Alonso’s dismissal, Alvaro Arbeloa continued the practice.
The team travel to the opposition’s stadium for the press conference, but otherwise complete their preparations at Valdebebas before flying out a few hours later.
Exceptions are made when the journey is too long to make the routine practical, as was the case with Almaty. Rome, however, is a relatively short trip, allowing Mourinho to maintain his preferred schedule.
Real Madrid’s flight is expected to depart at around 15:00, with the pre-match press conference scheduled for 18:00 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Four expected absentees
There were no new injury concerns, with Real Madrid set to travel without four players, all of whom were already expected to miss the match.
Eder Militao has returned to group training but still needs time to regain match fitness. Meanwhile, Raul Asencio remains unavailable after undergoing surgery for a fracture in his right tibia.
Ferland Mendy is also back training with his teammates but is expected to need slightly longer than Militao before returning to action. Rodrygo remains a long-term absentee.
