Gabriel turned 16 on Tuesday, allowing him to move to a European Union club, and Bayern Munich have now stepped up their interest in the highly rated forward.
The German champions had already been in contact with Gabriel’s camp in May and have renewed those discussions. Vincent Kompany is understood to be a major admirer of the teenager, who has also attracted interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona have been linked with Gabriel but have publicly distanced themselves from the pursuit, while Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen have reportedly cooled their interest because of the financial demands involved.
Gabriel asked Manchester United to cancel his registration last month after becoming frustrated by his lack of first-team involvement. United have refused to do so, meaning he cannot join another English club while his current arrangement remains in place.
The teenager can, however, move to a club within the European Union because he holds an EU passport through Irish and Cypriot relatives.
Bayern are not prepared to meet the seven-figure salary demanded by Gabriel’s camp, reports Sky Sports. Instead, the Bundesliga club are looking to convince the player and his father, Joe O’Cearuill, that Munich offers the right pathway for his development.
The German club have a recent example of their willingness to promote young players, with Lennart Karl having been fast-tracked into the senior team as a teenager.
Whether Bayern would make the same commitment to Gabriel remains unclear, but the club are hoping their development structure can persuade him to choose Munich.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has urged patience over the teenager’s future, despite Gabriel appearing in the club’s 2026/27 team photograph.
Carrick used Gabriel during pre-season and he had been expected to feature against Brighton in the Carabao Cup before a confrontation subsequently changed those plans.
United are refusing to release Gabriel from his registration, leaving the teenager unable to move domestically until next summer. That has increased the importance of his new eligibility to join European clubs.
Bayern’s renewed approach now gives Gabriel another major option as he considers his future. With several of Europe’s biggest clubs monitoring the situation, United face the prospect of losing one of their most highly rated young players without being able to control his next destination.
For Bayern, the challenge will be convincing Gabriel that Munich can offer the first-team opportunities he believes have been missing at Old Trafford.