Manchester United prospect JJ Gabriel is moving closer to joining Real Madrid while United, local rivals Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are all considering a move for United States defender Alex Freeman.

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Trending rumors

- Real Madrid are increasingly confident that they can sign Manchester United young attacking midfielder JJ Gabriel, according to TEAMtalk. The 16-year-old has been absent for the Red Devils since requesting to leave in September and asking for his registration to be cancelled. Attempts to keep him at Old Trafford have failed so far and a move to Spain has long been seen as the most attractive option, with Real Madrid and Barcelona the leading contenders. There is still competition from Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

- Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all looking at Villarreal and USMNT right-back Alex Freeman, according to Football Insider. The 22-year-old has caught the eye with a strong 2026, which included him being a regular in Mauricio Pochettino's side at the FIFA World Cup. Spurs are looking for a right-back as there is uncertainty surrounding Pedro Porro's future despite the 27-year-old signing a contract extension in the summer.

- Alejandro Balde has accepted that he will need to leave Barcelona if he wants to get more game time, according to Mundo Deportivo. Manchester United and other English clubs are interested in the left-back, who is attracted to the idea of moving to England. Manchester City and Bayern Munich were interested in the 23-year-old during the summer, although the latter went for Nathaniel Brown. Balde is still yet to start a match for the Blaugrana this season with João Cancelo and Xavi Espart ahead of him in the pecking order.

- Como centre-back Jacobo Ramón is seen by Real Madrid as a possible replacement for Antonio Rüdiger, AS reports. Even so, Los Blancos haven't made a final decision on whether to bring back the 21-year-old or various other players they have a re-sign option on, such as Ramón's Como teammate Nico Paz, Napoli centre-back Rafa Marín and Liverpool winger Víctor Muñoz. All of the players are being monitored by Madrid, but they won't make a decision about any of them until the spring.

- Manchester United, Everton, Leeds United, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are all among the Premier League clubs who have been made aware of Monaco and USMNT striker Folarin Balogun's availability, according to TEAMtalk. Juventus have also been approached withe the 25-year-old's representatives assessing the level of interest from various destinations. Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta remains on the Red Devils' radar, but they are also considering Balogun ahead of the January transfer window.

Other rumors

- Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck and Nottingham Forest's Murillo are two of the most prominent centre-backs being considered by Liverpool. (Caught Offside)

- Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen has emerged as a potential replacement for Thibaut Courtois at Real Madrid. (Fichajes)

- Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White as they plan a potential January move. However, Forest are confident they can keep Gibbs-White in January. (Football Insider)

- Lecce want to keep Tiago Gabriel until the end of the season despite interest from various clubs across Europe. (Nicolo Schira)

- Al-Ittihad are keen on RB Leipzig centre-back Abdoul Koné ahead of the winter window. (Footmercato)