JJ Gabriel 'reaches first major agreement' as Man Utd star tells four clubs his preference

Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel reportedly wants to move to Spain if he is granted an exit from the Red Devils. It emerged earlier this month that Gabriel had expressed a desire to leave United, and there are already reports of where the playmaker could end up joining.

Reports last week claimed that Gabriel had refused to take part in training for United ahead of their Carabao Cup third-round tie against Brighton. The 15-year-old was expected to be involved in the matchday squad for Michael Carrick’s side before expressing a desire to leave United.

Gabriel has been tipped to have a bright future in the game, and would have been United’s youngest-ever player had he made his debut against the Seagulls at Old Trafford last week. Yet Gabriel's determination to leave United has sparked intense speculation surrounding the youngster's next move.

A new update has surfaced from Spain suggesting that Gabriel could be heading across Europe should he leave United. Spanish publication Sport have reported that Gabriel's shortlist of potential destinations now features four clubs, two of which are based in Spain. Real Madrid and Barcelona are among those reportedly keen on securing Gabriel's signature, alongside Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

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The report further claims that Gabriel and his camp have already visited Spain, touring both Madrid and Barcelona. The United starlet has reportedly reached a 'first major agreement' to join one of those clubs instead of any other team. Reports suggest Gabriel is now keen on a move to Spain, giving Barcelona and Real Madrid the upper hand in the race to sign the coveted United youngster.

Gabriel has enjoyed an impressive opening few weeks of the season, most recently scoring a hat-trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League earlier this month. The playmaker has also contributed two goals and two assists across just two appearances for United's Under-21s in Premier League 2.

Despite his request to depart, Gabriel remains registered with United for the remainder of the season and cannot be de-registered. United believe the matter can still be resolved, despite Gabriel's unexpected desire to leave the club. The teenager is just a couple of weeks away from being eligible to sign a scholarship with United when he turns 16 on October 6, and will need to wait until his 17th birthday before putting pen to paper on a professional contract.

Speaking on Friday, Carrick was keen to shift the focus away from speculation surrounding the teenager and towards his wellbeing. He said: "I’ll just repeat what I said [earlier this week]: he’s a young boy, it’s important we don’t put anything out here, the exposure and scrutiny we have to be careful.

"We have to be sensible and think about him. The situation will work itself out."