In recent times, Real Madrid hasn't had the best of luck when it comes to developing young players. Despite loads of talent coming out of the Castilla system, young players often struggle to break into the first team and end up getting shipped off elsewhere to play their football.
However, Real Madrid want to change that. The club wants to get on the same level as clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich when it comes to developing young talent for the future, and they are reportedly closing in on a deal for one of the most talked-about youngsters in football.
As being reported by Ramon Alvarez on X, Real Madrid is growing more confident that they will be able to finalize the signing of Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel very soon, with both sides progressing towards a deal.
Gabriel has made headlines in recent weeks with his surprise request to leave Manchester United, and while there's no denying he has incredible potential, he brings more problems with him - problems that Real Madrid don't need right now.
JJ Gabriel brings more unnecessary headaches to Real Madrid
As mentioned earlier, there's no denying the 16-year-old has incredible talent and potential, and he's shown that this season. He grabbed five goals and two assists in three games in the UEFA Youth League and the Premier League 2; however, his talent may not be enough to overshadow the issues that come along with him.
He's only played three games this season after refusing to play for Manchester United again, requesting to leave the club. Reports state this stems from frustration at not making his senior team debut against Sabah in the Champions League, when other youth team players were handed their first-team debuts.
Other reports go on to mention the outrageous list of demands Gabriel made to Manchester United to stay at the club, including getting the number 77 shirt with Gabriel Jr on the back, getting to train with the senior team only, at least 20 guaranteed minutes in three specific games (presumably big games), as well as a seven-figure annual salary. For a 16-year-old and his entourage to be making these demands is ridiculous for a player who still has yet to prove himself, and it would be nothing short of a disaster to add him to Real Madrid.
The club already has enough on its plate to deal with. Attitude issues with players, unrest between teammates, struggling form on the pitch; adding Gabriel to a dressing room that is already tearing itself apart would just be pouring more gas onto the fire. Not to mention the fact that he would probably be sent to Castilla first and not jump right into the first team, which could upset the youngster even more than he already is with his situation at Manchester United.
Real Madrid is a club that always likes to be talked about, so the fact that they are the club closest to signing one of the most talked-about youngsters makes sense, but in the grand scheme of things, it would be a terrible move by the club. Real Madrid needs to focus on fixing all the problems already at the club, not adding someone who, from the looks of things, will just make the problems worse.
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