Barcelona have seemingly missed out on signing Manchester United teenage prospect JJ Gabriel, with Real Madrid closing in on securing his services.
According to transfer journalist Matteo Moretto , the youngster has chosen the Spanish capital as his preferred destination, with negotiations approaching their final stages, so much so that the official announcement from Real Madrid appearing imminent.
The development comes as a setback for Barcelona, who had been monitoring Gabriel and exploring the possibility of bringing him to Catalonia.
However, financial complications have made the operation difficult, allowing their rivals to gain the advantage in the race for one of Europe's highly rated young talents.
Gabriel has made his decision to join Real Madrid, with Moretto indicating that the youngster is convinced about moving to his preferred club.
Barcelona have admitted defeat in JJ Gabriel's race. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
The agreement is being finalised, although an official announcement has yet to be made.
The teenager is currently in Madrid, where he is training while the remaining details of the operation are resolved.
Barcelona had previously explored the possibility of signing Gabriel and were among the clubs interested in securing his future.
In fact, the youngster even travelled to the Catalan capital, where he participated in an individual training programme as the possibility of a move was considered.
However, those discussions did not result in an agreement, leaving Barcelona to miss out on his signature.
Real Madrid are close to signing JJ Gabriel. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
One of the main obstacles for Barcelona has been the financial structure of the proposed transfer.
The total cost of the operation could reportedly reach between €10 million and €15 million, which would be a considerable investment for a player of Gabriel's age.
Although Barcelona are indeed committed to recruiting promising youngsters, the club is unwilling to enter an expensive bidding war to secure his services.
As such, Real Madrid appear to have made greater progress in satisfying the conditions needed to complete the operation, seemingly pushing Barcelona out of the race.
