The JJ Gabriel saga is nearing a conclusion, but the youngster remains a Manchester United player for now. Gabriel has been training in Spain over the last six weeks. He last played for United's Under-19s against Sabah in September, scoring a hat-trick before United received a request from his camp to leave.
Real Madrid in pole position
United were surprised to read yesterday's reports that Madrid had reached a verbal agreement to sign Gabriel, with club sources insisting there has been no direct contact made between the two sides. Madrid are in pole position to sign Gabriel, though. The deal is now believed to be at an advanced stage, although the transfer will be subject to FIFA's strict regulations on the transfer of minors.
All along, the feeling has been that Gabriel's family wouldn't have pushed to leave if they weren't confident they could get beyond the red tape, so it appears that completing the transfer will be a formality. However, the situation is going to rumble on, even when Gabriel does complete a switch to Madrid, as United will inevitably take legal action in an attempt to receive a fair fee for his exit.
Gabriel must return to an elite academy environment as soon as possible because he's missing valuable time. He has received the best individual coaching during his time in Spain over the last few weeks, but the sooner the episode is put to bed the better for all parties involved. Some United fans have been confused by Madrid being the chosen destination for the teenager, given that they are known for signing stars rather than promoting players from the academy.
Cameron Jerome appointed
Remember Cameron Jerome? The striker racked up over 700 senior appearances during his career, playing for the likes of Cardiff, Birmingham, Stoke, Crystal Palace and Norwich among others. The 40-year-old has now joined United's academy to work as an individual development coach with the Under-21s. After retiring, Jerome launched his own coaching business, offering mentoring for academy and professional players, but he is now employed by United.
His experience will be particularly useful for United's budding forwards. Jerome scored 163 goals during his career and will help to coach finishing techniques, shooting angles and more during training. Adam Lawrence is in charge of the U21s, and Jerome will join his coaching staff, which also includes former Premier League defender Alan Wright.
Peter Sturgess joins
In addition to looking at personalised coaching to complement the group's training, United have also hired people they believe can mentor the players on and off the pitch, with Peter Sturgess joining the club. United have described Sturgess as a 'casual coach', but it's understood they are delighted to have him on board.
Sturgess is in the FA Coaching Hall of Fame and has been pivotal to the country's coaching/player development improvements in the last 20 years. He retired three years ago, but has come out of retirement to work with United. The club views Sturgess as a world-leading expert in foundation phase coaching. "The coach of young players should support the development of the person as well as the development of the player," reads his LinkedIn bio. In his role at United, Sturgess will provide occasional coaching and work on mentoring and specific development plans.
Youngster set for the World Cup
The Academy Notebook highlighted Jariyah Shah's participation in senior training last week. It's an exciting time for Shah, who is due to compete at the Under-17 World Cup with Australia this month. The U17 World Cup will kick off on November 19. Australia have Argentina, Denmark and Mozambique in their group, so Shah will be hopeful of helping his nation progress to the competition's knockout rounds.
The tournament will be played in Qatar and will feature 48 countries. Shah will be absent from academy fixtures for as long as Australia are competing, and it will be a superb learning experience for him.
