Real Madrid gains ground for JJ Gabriel, the 16 year old gem who left Manchester United

The winter transfer window hasn't opened yet, but there are already hot files circulating between Manchester and Madrid. The one generating the most buzz belongs to a name barely known outside youth soccer circles: JJ Gabriel, a 16 year old attacking midfielder from Manchester United's academy who has been out of the squad since September after asking to have his contract terminated and leave the club.

According to TEAMtalk, Real Madrid is growing increasingly confident it can get the deal done. United's attempts to keep him have gone nowhere, and while heavyweight competition remains in the picture, with PSG, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund all in the mix, Spain looks like the most likely destination, with Madrid and Barcelona as the top contenders.

The other name popping up repeatedly on Premier League shortlists is Alex Freeman, the 22 year old right back for Villarreal and the US men's national team. Football Insider reports that Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham all have him on their radar. Freeman is coming off a standout 2026, a year in which he was a regular starter for Mauricio Pochettino at the World Cup. In Tottenham's case, the interest has a specific explanation: there are doubts about Pedro Porro's future despite the 27 year old fullback signing a contract extension over the summer.

Balde ready to pack his bags

In Barcelona, Alejandro Balde's situation is starting to get uncomfortable. According to Mundo Deportivo, the player himself has accepted that he'll need to leave the club if he wants to get his playing time back. United and other English clubs are keeping close tabs on the 23 year old fullback, who likes the idea of making the jump to the Premier League. It wouldn't be the first time his name has come up in England: Manchester City already explored a move in the summer, and Bayern Munich also showed interest before ultimately going with Nathaniel Brown instead. Balde's problem is clear: he hasn't started a single match for Barca this season, with João Cancelo and Xavi Espart ahead of him in the rotation.

Madrid eyes Como for a center back

At the Santiago Bernabeu, moves are also being made with the defense in mind. AS reports that Jacobo Ramón, the 21 year old Como center back, is emerging as a possible replacement for Antonio Rüdiger. Nothing has been decided yet, though: the list of options to buy back or sign also includes Nico Paz, Ramón's teammate at Como, Napoli center back Rafa Marín and Liverpool winger Víctor Muñoz. All of them are being monitored, but Madrid won't make any decisions until spring.

Finally, Monaco and USMNT forward Folarin Balogun is on the radar of half the English dressing rooms: United, Everton, Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have all been informed of his availability, according to TEAMtalk, and Juventus has also made contact with his camp. At United, in fact, Balogun is now competing for priority with Jean-Philippe Mateta, the Crystal Palace forward who had been the main target heading into January.

Other names making the rounds these days: Liverpool continues to monitor center backs Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) and Murillo (Nottingham Forest); Real Madrid is watching Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as a possible successor to Thibaut Courtois; Tottenham is keeping an eye on Morgan Gibbs-White, though Nottingham Forest are confident they can keep him; Lecce wants to lock down Tiago Gabriel despite interest from several European clubs; and Al-Ittihad has set its sights on RB Leipzig center back Abdoul Koné for the winter window.