Manchester United face losing JJ Gabriel on a free transfer during the January transfer window, with clubs from across Europe preparing huge offers for the teenager.
Gabriel turned 16 on Tuesday, October 6, and as a European Union passport holder, the player is now allowed to agree deals with clubs in EU countries. Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are all interested in signing Gabriel.
Manchester United could have signed the player to a pre-contract before he turned 16, but his camp did not open talks before requesting a move.
Academy absence and debut dispute
The forward has not featured for any of United's academy teams since scoring a hat-trick for the under-19s during their 5-0 win over Sabah in the UEFA Youth League. Gabriel has also not reported to Carrington since his representatives requested a move ahead of the club's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, a match in which the teenager was expected to make his competitive first-team debut and become United's youngest-ever player in the process.
Gabriel's camp, however, wanted the teenager to debut in United's first Champions League match of this season against Sabah. The club did not include him in their squad submitted to UEFA, instead selecting him for their Youth League fixture against the Azerbaijan Premier League champions' under-19s.
Training in Spain
After asking out of United, there are plenty of teams showing interest. Gabriel has spent recent weeks training in Castelldefels, a town 12 miles southwest of the Catalan city.
The player's future is expected to become clearer as the day progresses, with his 16th birthday marking the point at which he can formally agree terms with clubs across the European Union.
