Manchester United’s teenage sensation JJ Gabriel has reportedly told the club that he wants to leave.
The development comes just days after the 15-year-old made history by scoring three times against FK Sabah in the UEFA Youth League. That performance made Gabriel the youngest player ever to score a hat-trick for United.
According to Daily Mail Sport, senior figures at Old Trafford have been left shocked by the request. Club officials are understood to be unclear about what prompted the decision, particularly as Gabriel had become a regular presence in first-team training and was viewed as an important part of the club’s plans.
Gabriel had reportedly been in contention to make Michael Carrick’s squad for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton. His potential involvement now appears unlikely while the situation is assessed.
The episode represents a significant challenge for Manchester United, who will be desperate to avoid losing one of the most highly rated young players in European football.
United’s director of football Jason Wilcox and head of negotiations Matt Hargreaves previously stepped in when Gabriel considered departing last summer. They persuaded him to remain by outlining a pathway that could eventually see him become the club’s youngest-ever first-team player.
Manchester United prodigy JJ Gabriel, 15, has reportedly requested a move away from the club
Known as ‘Kid Messi’, Gabriel hit a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League last week
Wilcox and Hargreaves are expected to be involved again, alongside Carrick. All three have watched Gabriel closely at Leigh Sports Village this season, where the teenager has regularly played six age groups above his own while starring for the Under-21s.
There is still hope within United that the dispute can be resolved. Although Gabriel has expressed a desire to leave, he cannot currently be removed from the squad, while his existing contract remains in place until the end of the season.
Speculation intensified when Gabriel appeared to delete every post from his Instagram account and remove references to Manchester United from his profile.
People close to the player initially dismissed suggestions that he was unhappy, but it has since emerged that a major disagreement may have been developing privately. Barcelona have tracked Gabriel for several years, and his Irish passport means he can leave the UK at 16 and play for a club elsewhere in Europe.
Following Gabriel’s European hat-trick, his youth-team manager Adam Lawrence discussed the responsibility that comes with developing a player of such exceptional potential. Lawrence oversees both the Under-19 and Under-21 groups.
“I think the first responsibility in my job is not to ruin him,” Lawrence said.
“When you have a gifted player like JJ, as well as the other young talents, you do not want to restrict their freedom or creativity. The aim is to build a team structure that gives those players the platform to express themselves and play with freedom at the right moments.”
‘Of course, it can’t always be free and off the cuff in terms of some of the off-the-ball responsibilities that he’s working on and some of the pressing things that he’s thinking about. But again, in terms of how he plays properly and how he connects with other team-mates at the top end of the pitch, he’s just in a real good space.
‘If you look at that game today, I think he’s playing properly. I think he’s trying to do the right things.
‘It’s enjoyable working with him and challenging as a coach because the best players challenge you. When you work with talented players you have to find a way to help them and allow them to flourish and keep improving. Of course, there are things that you can keep working on but he is of course in a real good place.’
The move has left United shocked and is a significant blow given how highly rated Gabriel is
Asked about the people advising him, Lawrence was insistent those around him have the player’s best interests at heart.
‘With JJ, he’s surrounded by people that really believe in him,’ Lawrence added.
‘From the top of the club right the way through. Where he’s been at the club for so long, he’s got good relationships with the players, with the staff.
‘Over the course of time that helps as well. At the moment just in terms of his game, his games programme, his training programme, making sure that he’s getting the right exposure across different levels.
‘We’re obviously not perfect but it’s definitely something we put a lot of thought into. So yeah, it’s good to see him just enjoying his football and in a good place for sure.’
But those comments come as scant consolation to supporters now with Gabriel determined to seek pastures new, particularly when a first team debut had long been earmarked for this week.
- READ MORE: NATHAN SALT’s special report on the teen nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’
