Man Utd’s JJ Gabriel flies to Barcelona for ‘talks’ as membership reject switch request
JJ Gabriel has requested to have his registration with Manchester United cancelled, but the club have rejected the application and are continuing to try and persuade the 15-year-old to stay
JJ Gabriel looks increasingly more likely to leave Old Trafford(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
Man Utd have rebuffed JJ Gabriel’s plea to have his registration with the club annulled, despite the 15-year-old seemingly being on the brink of an Old Trafford exit.
The English wonderkid is reportedly currently in Spain engaging in talks with Barcelona. It comes as Gabriel’s agents allegedly submitted a formal request for United to de-register him this week. However, the club dismissed it while persisting in their attempts to convince the young talent to stay at Old Trafford.
The talks appear to be an increasingly fruitless task, with Gabriel and his entourage presently in Spain and potentially poised to enter negotiations with Real Madrid and Barcelona over a transfer next month.
JJ Gabriel scored a hattrick in his last appearance for the club in the UEFA Youth League(Image: Zohaib Alam, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Although United have Gabriel under contract until the end of this season, there is precedent for him to move overseas after turning 16 on October 6 if he holds an EU passport, exploiting a FIFA loophole to sign for Barcelona or Real Madrid.
He could gain eligibility through his father’s Irish lineage or his mother’s Cypriot ancestry, with Spanish reports suggesting he will secure the necessary paperwork to complete a move next week. It is believed he does indeed possess an Irish passport.
Any transfer would still necessitate FIFA approval. United can offer scholarship terms to Gabriel from his 16th birthday and while his departure now seems inevitable, doing so should ensure they receive a modest compensation fee, reports the Express.
Gabriel was part of Man Utd’s pre-season teams(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
The club were stunned by his demand to leave this week, with Gabriel missing from Carrington since bagging a hat-trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League last Thursday (September 10).
He was due to train with the first team before potentially earning a place in the matchday squad to face Brighton on Wednesday (September 16), where he might have established a new record as the club’s youngest-ever player.
His agents believe promises about first-team chances have not been kept, leading them to pursue Gabriel’s departure from the club.
Michael Carrick repeated his comments on the situation (Image: MUTV)
He appeared for only eight minutes in pre-season matches and was left out of the club’s Champions League squad list, blocking him from making his debut against Sabah last week.
Michael Carrick was asked about the continuing situation involving the academy talent during his press conference ahead of the Fulham match, but stressed the duty of care towards the 15-year-old.
“I think I’d just repeat what I said the other day, really,” he said. “I think he’s a young boy, JJ, and I think it’s important that we certainly don’t put anything out here.
“I think the exposure and the scrutiny and everything that, you got to be careful and be sensible and think of him as much as anything, so the situation will work itself out, whatever way it’s going to work itself out. Making sure he’s okay is the important thing.”
