Manchester United were left stunned this week by the news that JJ Gabriel wants to leave, but they went to great lengths in an effort to keep him around. The 15-year-old now looks set to depart Old Trafford, though it remains to be seen whether he stays in England or heads overseas.
It has been claimed that United tried a number of different approaches as they sought to keep him around. Gabriel had looked set to make his senior debut against Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday but was left out of the squad after dropping that bombshell.
The Mail reports that Barcelona and Real Madrid are frontrunners for the teenager's signature. Gabriel is understood to have an EU passport, meaning he would be free to move clubs at the age of 16 - the age he will turn in October.
Record-breaking opportunity and staff intervention
United were ready to hand Gabriel his senior debut at the age of just 15, breaking a youngest player record which has stood for 70 years. That record belongs to David Gaskell, who was 16 years and 19 days old when he made his first United appearance in October 1956 and went on to win two league titles.
Now, as the Mail notes, the youngster might be given a back seat at Under-21 level. Gabriel has scored twice in two Premier League 2 outings but didn't train on Monday or Tuesday amid the latest developments.
This isn't the first time Gabriel has been linked with an exit. In the summer of 2025, director of football Jason Wilcox stepped in to convince the youngster to stick around. Matt Hargreaves, United's head of negotiations, was also involved in the intervention. It is believed he and Wilcox made it clear the teenager had a path to the first team.
Pre-season exposure and club legends
That message from Wilcox and Hargreaves was emphasised when Michael Carrick included Gabriel in his squad for this summer's pre-season games. It was there that he got his first taste of men's football, featuring in a friendly against Atletico Madrid. However, those would be the only minutes he received under Carrick. He was also left out of United's 'A' list for the Champions League and is ineligible for the 'B' list, so was barred from featuring in Europe until the new year at the earliest.
Carrick wasn't the first United boss to keep close tabs on the player. Ruben Amorim spent hours watching footage of him during United's pre-season tour to get a sense of what he was about. Amorim left in January before having an opportunity to hand Gabriel a first-team opportunity.
United's former sporting director Dan Ashworth was also an admirer of Gabriel. Indeed, the former Newcastle chief was keen on fast-tracking the wonderkid before leaving Old Trafford in late 2024. Interestingly, it was during Ashworth's time at Newcastle that the Magpies made Lewis Miley the sixth-youngest player in their history.
In December 2025, Gabriel met with iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He spoke about the "honour" after being photographed with the two-time Champions League-winning boss.
Special treatment and training involvement
Gabriel's schedule at Carrington wasn't what you'd expect for just any 15-year-old. The Mail reports that he was allowed to take multiple breaks during the season, something not always afforded to academy stars. The treatment appeared to suit him well, with 26 goals last season a remarkable return.
United recruitment chief Christopher Vivell is another who has played a part in the efforts to make Gabriel feel special. The former Chelsea technical director is said to have aimed to make the youngster a focal point. If this was designed to show him the way forward, it appears not to have worked. Instead, a lack of minutes may have been a deciding factor despite all the efforts made elsewhere.
United went on a number of pre-season trips over the summer, playing friendlies in several different countries. Gabriel was involved in all but one of those, but only got eight minutes on the pitch against Atleti. A number of other academy stars featured more in pre-season, including some who have since left Old Trafford. They include fellow forward Chido Obi, who is spending the season on loan at Dutch side Willem II.
Michael Carrick has been on regular trips to Leigh Sports Village to watch Gabriel in action for United's age group teams. The manager was in the stands for a 5-0 win over Ipswich in August, where the youngster scored one goal and assisted two more. Even so, Carrick urged patience when it came to a senior competitive debut. "We have to be a little bit careful on that one. He's a 15-year-old boy," he said. "It's more about the welfare, the care and the attention of JJ as a child really."
Carrick has invited Gabriel to train with the senior squad to give him a taste of what such a thing involves. Amorim did the same, saying: "If we can use every training we have to show the kids what they need to do to be here, it is important, not just for JJ but for everyone."
Arsenal prodigy Max Dowman trod a similar path before making his Premier League bow in August 2025. However, Gabriel's first taste of league football looks as though it will come away from Old Trafford.
