JJ Gabriel has given an indication of the extreme measures he took to trade Manchester United for Real Madrid at the age of 16

JJ Gabriel has broken his silence after walking away from Manchester United, with a move to Real Madrid now on the cards. Gabriel, 16, is set to join Real after disappearing from United when he become frustrated at the slow progress of his promotion to the senior squad.

The youngster has enlisted the services of super agent Ali Barat to make his dream move to the Bernabeu a reality. He drew interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain before opting for Jose Mourinho's Real as his destination.

Despite still being registered with United, whom he joined in 2022, Gabriel has severed all connections with the club. United are weighing up legal action against Real to secure compensation beyond the £100,000 to £300,000 fee that FIFA typically mandates.

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The Red Devils have yet to hear from Real, who have reportedly offered Gabriel a three-year deal worth more than £850,000 (€1m) per season, reports the Mirror.

Having previously been training in Barcelona, Gabriel has relocated to Madrid while the process continues, and he spoke to Spanish newspaper Marca alongside his father after a session with his personal trainer.

After joking about choosing Real over rivals Barca, Gabriel said: "My dream is to win the Ballon d'Or."

Prising him away from United and thrashing out a deal isn't the only hurdle facing Real Madrid. Gabriel would also have to join the club's reserve side, Castilla, as he cannot feature in the Youth League this season due to his registration with United.

Players under the age of 18 are generally not permitted to move so early, but Gabriel - who was born in England but holds Irish and Cypriot heritage - possesses a European Union passport.

Marca reports that Gabriel's switch to Real may not be formally announced until January, when the club can officially register him during the transfer window. This means that, even once everything is settled with Real, the drawn-out saga will likely rumble on into 2027.