Barcelona are reportedly intensifying their efforts to lure another young talent away from Manchester United, setting their sights on teenage sensation JJ Gabriel.
Barcelona's Pursuit of United's Prodigy
According to reports, the Catalan giants are keen to prise 15-year-old attacking midfielder JJ Gabriel from United's academy and integrate him into their famed La Masia youth system. The England Under-16s international has been in scintillating form for United's Under-18 side this season, netting 10 goals in just 10 matches.
His standout performance came this past weekend, where he scored a hat-trick in a resounding 7-0 victory over rivals Liverpool. Gabriel's contributions have been pivotal in helping Manchester United's U18s climb to third place in the Premier League table, with six wins and two draws from their 11 fixtures.
United's Fight to Keep Their Starlet
Manchester United are determined to retain their prized asset. The club's director of football, Jason Wilcox, is said to have played a key role in convincing Gabriel and his family to remain at Old Trafford for this season and the next campaign. Sources within the club believe Wilcox's direct involvement demonstrated how highly they value the young midfielder and underlined a clear pathway to the first team.
This commitment was further emphasised last week when United's head coach, Ruben Amorim, held a separate meeting with Gabriel and his representatives. This followed the teenager being promoted to train with the senior squad last Thursday, a move Amorim explained was both to assess talent and to give academy players a taste of first-team demands.
"You could see the U21s had a game and we had less players and tried to pick players for training that have talent," Amorim stated. "Not just for me to see for tomorrow, but also for them to feel what it means to be in the first-team... If we can use every training we have to show the kids what they need to do to be here, it's important."
The Wider Context: Rashford's Barcelona Future
Gabriel is not the only Manchester United player on Barcelona's radar. The Spanish club also holds a £26 million option to make Marcus Rashford's loan move permanent next summer. The 28-year-old forward has impressed during his stint at the Nou Camp, contributing six goals and nine assists in 19 appearances.
Rashford came off the bench to help secure a 3-1 win against Atletico Madrid recently, later posting on Instagram: "Important win and great team performance." His potential permanent switch adds another layer to the ongoing transfer dialogue between the two European giants.
Despite the significant interest from Barcelona, there is a strong belief within Manchester United that JJ Gabriel will commit his long-term future to the club, rebuffing the advances from Catalonia and continuing his rapid development at Carrington.
