JJ Gabriel is planning to leave Manchester United on a free transfer in January, it has been claimed. Gabriel, 16, has informed the Reds of his wish to cancel his registration with immediate effect.
United were left stunned by Gabriel's decision and he was due to be involved in the Carabao Cup squad to face Brighton last month. If he had featured, he would have become the club's youngest-ever player, eclipsing David Gaskell, who was 16 years and 19 days old when he debuted back in 1956.
Contract situation and transfer plans
Despite this, United believe the situation can still be resolved with Gabriel still having time left on his contract. The 2010-born sensation cannot be de-registered unless all parties agree, but he can now negotiate a move abroad after turning 16 on Tuesday, helped by the fact he has an EU passport.
According to Sky Sport Germany, Gabriel has made it clear he is hoping to leave United for free during the January transfer window. The reports add that Barcelona and Real Madrid are 'very concrete' and both are 'ready to offer the XXL package of salary, bonuses and signing-on fee to the teenager.'
Bayern Munich are not giving up and have held new talks, while Paris Saint-Germain are described as 'lurking' in the background.
International options and training
Sky also report that Gabriel could receive a Cypriot passport in the near future through his mother, adding to the Irish and United Kingdom he has, making it easier for him to have automatic free-movement rights into an EU nation.
Amid the speculation surrounding Gabriel's future, he has trained in Barcelona across the expanded international break and has held talks with the Catalan side, despite the club's sporting director Deco downplaying a move.
Reactions and recent appearances
"There's nothing to say about this boy," Deco said on September 24. "It's normal we always have players linked with us. There's a huge market for that, even when they are young. We are not interested in any player in his situation. I'm not sure what's happening, and if he's still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that. First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something. To speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business."
Michael Carrick, meanwhile, urged for calm when asked about the midfielder ahead of his side's trip to Fulham last month. He said: "I'll just repeat what I said [earlier this week]: he's a young boy, it's important we don't put anything out here, the exposure and scrutiny we have to be careful. We have to be sensible and think about him. The situation will work itself out."
Gabriel's last appearance for United came in a 5-0 win against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League last month. His father and representative had hoped Gabriel would feature for the first-team against the same opposition in the Champions League. But United opted not to include him in the squad, angering the player and his family.
