Manchester United's 16-year-old prospect JJ Gabriel has hit a snag in his move to Real Madrid. He cannot feature in the UEFA Youth League this season, even though he has already travelled to Spain to wrap up the deal.
Gabriel became free to leave Old Trafford after turning 16 last month. His Cypriot passport lets him sidestep the transfer restrictions tied to Britain's exit from the European Union.
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British newspaper "The Sun" reported today, Saturday, that Real Madrid are unhappy with the player's inability to take part in the UEFA Youth League. He has already featured in the competition with Manchester United and scored a hat-trick, which rules him out of playing for the Spanish club in it for the rest of the season.
Madrid had planned to add the young striker to their reserve team. His inability to play in Europe now looms large over the club's calculations, though the deal is still expected to go through, earning Manchester United financial compensation of around 350,000 pounds sterling.
Gabriel recently laid out his ambition to Spanish newspaper "Marca", saying: "My dream is to win the Ballon d'Or", after beginning training in Madrid.
A rejected request
The player sprang a surprise last September. He told Manchester United officials he wanted to leave and submitted a formal notification of his intention to depart, despite joining the club at the age of 11.
His family had asked that he play for the Red Devils for 20 minutes in the UEFA Champions League tie against Azerbaijan's Sabah. Manager Michael Carrick did not grant the request, and Gabriel was then forced to train alone after announcing his desire to go.
"The Sun" also reported that the player demanded a seven-figure annual salary in talks with Bayern Munich, and that Barcelona had taken an interest too.