Barcelona ready to overcome Real Madrid advantage in JJ Gabriel transfer battle | OneFootball

As things stand, Barcelona are one of the two favourites to sign Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel, who is likely to walk away from the Premier League giants once he turns 16. A move abroad is taken for granted, and while Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are keen, the expectation is that he will join one of the two El Clasico clubs.

Barcelona already bested Real Madrid in the summer to sign Rodri, so they fancy their chances of tempting Gabriel to the Spotify Camp Nou. However, that failure is likely to drive the Bernabeu club to go all-out to sign the Man United teenager, and this is bad news for those in Catalonia.

According to Sport, both clubs have already submitted their offers to Gabriel’s entourage, headed up by agent Ali Barat. Real Madrid’s proposal is reported to be “significantly” more lucrative than Barcelona’s, but that does mean that the Catalans are ready to accept defeat.

Barcelona identify clear first team pathway for Gabriel

Barcelona sporting director Deco has been tasked with convincing Gabriel to join, and he has been making the club’s case in recent days. He has given a guarantee to the 15-year-old that he will have a clear pathway to the first team if he decides to join, and this is something that should give them an advantage over Real Madrid, given their proven track record of bringing players through the La Masia academy.

Furthermore, Barcelona have close ties with Barat, who is reportedly close to being appointed as Raphinha’s new agent. That move could benefit the Catalans when it comes to the Gabriel case, as they make sure to use every possible avenue to make up for the fact that they cannot offer as much money as Real Madrid.

Gabriel is expected to make his decision in the coming days. He can sign a contract with either club on his 16th birthday (6th of October), so Barcelona will know before then whether they have signed one of the most highly-rated young players in the world.