Bayern Munich have reportedly entered the race to sign JJ Gabriel from Manchester United. The teenager made headlines last month when it emerged that he wanted to rip up his contract and leave the club.
Bayern's serious interest
The Times has reported that the Bundesliga giants held a meeting with Gabriel's family in May and have made contact. Gabriel, who turned 16 on Tuesday, is now eligible to move to clubs in Europe due to his EU passport, while youngsters from the UK cannot switch abroad until they are 18.
Bayern's interest is described as "serious" with head coach Vincent Kompany an admirer of the teenager. However, the club are unwilling to meet his salary demands of around seven figures, Sky claim via the outlet.
United's stance
A request to leave United was submitted after the 16-year-old's representatives wanted him to make his first-team bow in the Champions League against Sabah. Michael Carrick's side had planned to give the then-15-year-old his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion but his representatives expressed the desire to leave on the eve of the game.
United are refusing to terminate his contract, meaning that he will be unable to move to a domestic rival until his deal expires this summer.
Spanish giants in the mix
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are seemingly involved in a tug-of-war for his services, with Gabriel training in Castelldefels in Barcelona in the wake of his future uncertainty in recent weeks.
Los Blancos and the Catalan side have held talks about signing the 16-year-old, who scored a hat-trick in United's Youth League win over Sabah. But Barcelona sporting director Deco has been cautious in addressing the situation with both La Liga juggernauts aware of the sensitivity surrounding the move.
Compensation and legal options
Rules on signing under-18 players raises the possibility of potential legal options for United to explore. Reports have suggested that a move to Europe for Gabriel could cost the club millions with figures around £300,000 being listed as windfall for a move for the highly-rated teenager.
By comparison, a move within England could be worth millions with the likes of Liverpool being forced to pay Chelsea north of £2million for Rio Ngumoha after a tribunal verdict.
The MEN reported this week that United can and are expected to offer Gabriel scholarship terms to meet requirements for compensation. The club acquiring the forward's signature will have to submit a request to FIFA to prove it can fulfil the obligations of football development, education provision, welfare and other matters.
Though it has been said that Gabriel's camp would not have pushed for the move if they wasn't confident they could overcome the obstacles in place.
