Manchester United have reportedly offered JJ Gabriel a scholarship contract despite the player's camp requesting his registration be cancelled. The forward, who turned 16 on October 6, has not reported to Carrington since asking to be released from United.
Gabriel has instead spent the last three weeks training with a private coach in Castelldefels, Catalonia. Barcelona and Real Madrid have both held talks about signing Gabriel, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.
Contract offer and compensation
The Guardian reports that United have lodged an official scholarship contract offer with the player. It is said that Gabriel could have joined another Premier League club for free in January if they had not. Domestic rivals would now have to negotiate with United as usual.
As is often the case when the most sought-after academy players move between English clubs, a Professional Football Compensation Committee tribunal sets the price if no fee is agreed. United would apparently expect to receive over £3million plus a 20% sell-on clause.
Potential £350k exit
Gabriel moving outside England would leave United with a fraction of that amount. The club would be due around £350,000 based on official FIFA compensation figures for a Category I academy. Players from England are ordinarily prevented from moving clubs before their 18th birthday, following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.
Gabriel, though, would be able to do so with an EU passport. However, it remains unclear whether he currently has the correct documentation. His father, Joe O'Cearuill, played twice for the Republic of Ireland national team, qualifying through his Irish mother, and also has a Trinidadian father. Gabriel's mother has Cypriot heritage, giving the player two routes to EU passports.
Barcelona's stance
Barcelona sporting director Deco acknowledged links to Gabriel during the September/October international break. The former Chelsea player said: "There's nothing to say about this boy, it's normal we always have players linked with us. There's a huge market for that, even when they [players] are young."
"We are not interested in any player in his situation. I am 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, and to speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business."
United are considering legal action if the teenager departs, which he is now expected to do, despite initial hopes that a resolution could eventually be reached.
