Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund has praised Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel as reports in Germany continue to underline the scale of interest in the teenager.

United are not compelled to agree to Gabriel’s exit request, with his youth contract running until the end of the season. Even so, the 15-year-old is attracting attention from across Europe, with clubs hopeful of persuading him with a clearer path to first-team football.

Speaking to BILD, Freund was careful not to go beyond admiration when asked about Bayern’s involvement. He said: “We know the player because he is very, very talented. An exceptional talent. But I can’t say anything more about it.”

When pressed again on whether Bayern are in talks over a move, Freund replied: “Not at the moment,” although BILD suggested that stance may not tell the full story.

The report claims Bayern have been in “close contact” with Gabriel and his father, who represents him, since February. According to the same account, the Bundesliga champions made their interest clear from that point if an opportunity to sign him emerged.

Bayern are not said to be out of the running, but the early signs point elsewhere. Gabriel and his family are understood to be weighing up options from around Europe, with first-team assurances a key factor. United were reportedly prepared to give him a senior debut during the midweek defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, only days after his exit demand.

Earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano said Real Madrid are leading the race for Gabriel, a view since echoed by several outlets in England and Spain. More recently, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic said Madrid are “very confident” of winning the chase for a player whose move would cost no more than €1 million ($1.2 million) in compensation.

Five managers have been named on the shortlist for the 2026 Men’s Coach of the Year award, also known as the Johan Cruyff Award. It is only the third year the honour has been presented, after Carlo Ancelotti and Luis Enrique collected the first two trophies.

Enrique is on the list again, joined by three other Spanish managers, while the previous two winners both came from Champions League-winning campaigns. That pattern may not continue this time, with the field shaped by very different achievements across domestic and European football.

Unai Emery stands out after steering Aston Villa to their first major trophy in 30 years. Villa won the Europa League, a competition Emery has now claimed for a record-extending fifth time in his career and with three different clubs. He had already taken Villa back into the Champions League for the first time since 1982 in the previous season, and he then added a fourth-place Premier League finish to go with the club’s trophy breakthrough. It was enough to confirm his place among the most important managers in the club’s history.

Vincent Kompany also made a strong case in his second season at Bayern Munich. The German side won the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the German Super Cup, losing only once in a 34-game league campaign. Bayern scored 122 Bundesliga goals, averaging 3.5 per game, as Kompany’s team combined power with control. Their Champions League run ended in a narrow semifinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, though they did end their long struggle against Real Madrid by beating them in the quarterfinals.

Mikel Arteta’s case is built on a long-awaited breakthrough for Arsenal. After 22 years, the club finally won the Premier League, with Arteta rewarded in his sixth full season in charge. Arsenal also went unbeaten throughout the Champions League until the final, where they lost on penalties to PSG. Even without the European crown, it was a season that showed clear progress, both at home and abroad.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or will spotlight the game’s biggest prizes across the men’s and women’s competitions, with several of Europe’s leading clubs heavily represented on the shortlists.

Paris Saint-Germain headline the men’s field with a remarkable 10 nominations for the Men’s Ballon d’Or, while Barcelona lead overall with 20 nominees across the available categories. Bayern Munich stand alone as the only club to be nominated for both the Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year award. Arsenal, the defending English champions, appear in every men’s category except the Kopa Trophy.

PSG’s list is stacked with Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Vitinha all named for the Men’s Ballon d’Or. Warren Zaïre-Emery is in line for the Kopa Trophy, Matvey Safonov is on the Yashin Trophy list, Luis Enrique is nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year, and PSG are up for Men’s Club of the Year.

Arsenal’s nominations are more concentrated, with Gabriel, Declan Rice and William Saliba all shortlisted for the Men’s Ballon d’Or. Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo are both in the running for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, David Raya is up for the Yashin Trophy, Mikel Arteta is nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year, and Arsenal are in the Club of the Year conversation.

Barcelona’s nominations span both squads, with Pau Cubarsí, Rodri, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal among the men’s names, while their women’s representatives include Esmee Brugts, Cata Coll, Caroline Graham Hansen, Patri Guijarro, Mapi Leion, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas. Vicky López and Clara Serrajordi are on the Women’s Kopa Trophy list, Joan García is nominated for the Yashin Trophy, Pere Romeu is in the Coach of the Year race, and Barcelona are favourites for Women’s Club of the Year.

Bayern’s strongest men’s nominees are Harry Kane, Luis Díaz, Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano, while Klara Bühl, Pernille Harder and Momoko Tanikawa feature on the women’s side. Lennart Karl is on the Kopa Trophy shortlist and Vincent Kompany is up for Men’s Coach of the Year.

Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester City also have notable representation across the awards, underlining how widely the nominations are spread among Europe’s leading clubs.