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.

Gameweek 5 arrives as the final round before a three-week international break, and several of the division’s leading sides face awkward assignments. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all have testing away days to negotiate, while the weekend opens with a west London derby and closes with a demanding set of fixtures on Sunday.

Chelsea travel to unbeaten Brentford in the first match of the round, with the visitors still trying to settle after recent setbacks against Arsenal and Hull City. Defensive problems have been a recurring concern, even with a strong attacking unit behind them, and João Pedro’s expected absence through injury adds another complication. Brentford, meanwhile, have made a steady start and possess enough threat through Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago to make life difficult. The prediction is a draw.

Tottenham Hotspur are also short of confidence after back-to-back goalless league draws, and their meeting with Aston Villa looks finely balanced. Villa have taken only one point from four in the league, but their cup wins suggest better days may be ahead. Another stalemate is the call.

Arsenal’s trip to Brighton looks like one of the toughest tests of the weekend on paper, yet their defensive record remains exceptional. They have conceded only once in the league and continue to win tight games. Brighton have scored freely, but Arsenal’s control should be decisive.

Everton, Hull, Nottingham Forest and Leeds all carry momentum into their respective fixtures, while Manchester City should have enough to handle Sunderland despite some uneven performances. Liverpool’s visit to Bournemouth has the feel of another draw, especially with both sides finding ways to share points early in the campaign.

At the lower end, Coventry still look short of a breakthrough, and Fulham’s defensive issues may leave them vulnerable to Manchester United, who badly need a response after a difficult week.

Across the round, the sense is of a weekend where margins remain small, and several scorelines look finely poised.

Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to keep their feet on the ground as they close in on a piece of history. A win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday would give the Gunners eight straight victories to begin a season for the first time since 1903, but the manager made clear that the milestone cannot become a distraction.

“We’ve got a really tough opponent tomorrow so we’re going to have to earn the right to win the game,” he warned. “But certainly that will be the mindset of the players and the team.”

Arteta was also asked whether he had expected Arsenal to open the campaign with seven consecutive wins. He said the signs were encouraging over the summer, even if he knew the challenge would be severe.

“Well, we know how complicated it is to win a football match at this level,” he confessed. “So to win seven, it tells the story.

“After the World Cup , especially, there were a lot of unknowns about how the players and the team were going to react. We didn’t have any time with them to work together. But I said from day one, I think the attitude and what I was seeing, I was really impressed with.

“Then you have to put it down to performances. We had a bit of luck as well, for sure, to win four matches. And we are here. And then we want to make another one for sure tomorrow.”

Arsenal’s best start to a season remains the eight-game run from 1903-04. In that era, Woolwich Arsenal were in the Second Division, and their sequence included emphatic wins over sides that finished in very different places in the table. Even so, the campaign also featured a 4-0 victory over Manchester United, with Arsenal ending the season with the division’s highest totals for goals scored and fewest conceded.