JJ Gabriel turns 16 today, which means he can now be represented by an agent and is free to join a foreign club. This development appears to have ended Manchester United's hopes of convincing him to stay at Carrington.
The teenager caused a stir last month by handing in a request to cancel his registration, despite having forged a pathway into Michael Carrick's side. Gabriel had looked set to make his first-team debut against Brighton in the Carabao Cup before his shock appeal to leave, which United refused.
Agent Representation and Foreign Options
Because he was 15 at the time of his initial request, Gabriel could not be legally represented by an agent. Now, the youngster will be able to join a foreign club using his Irish passport, with Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona all linked.
Gabriel has acquired this passport through his dad, Joe O'Cearuill, who started his professional career at Arsenal in the mid-2000s and represented the Republic of Ireland on two occasions. The teenager also has Cypriot heritage on his mother's side, giving him multiple international options and a pathway to sign for European clubs.
Agents and Training in Barcelona
The Daily Mail reported that super-agents Ali Barat and Jorge Mendes are keen to secure Gabriel and ensure he joins his dream club. Barat has stepped in on behalf of the player's family to manage the situation and needed formal authorisation to represent him, but this will no longer be required.
Recently, the forward has been training individually with a private coach in Castelldefels, Barcelona, as he looks to forge a way out of United. Previously, Carrick had urged patience with Gabriel's future and claimed the club would have to protect him from speculation.
He said: "I'll just repeat what I said: 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."
These words have quickly faded into obscurity as United continue to lose their grip on the talented teen. Gabriel has not trained at Carrington since his exit request and continues to fuel rumours as he works with private coach, Jack Hunter, in the Catalan capital.
United's Decline and Compensation
The Red Devils remain hopeful they can convince the youngster to return. However, it has been reported that United's recent decline is the main reason for Gabriel's desire to leave.
Should the teenager choose a Spanish club to join - or head further afield to Germany - it would represent a significant blow for United. They would be entitled to around £300,000 in compensation if he transfers abroad, which is a considerably lower figure than the fee they'd get if he joined an English club instead.
The Sun has reported that United will now consider regulatory and potentially legal action against anyone who tries to negotiate Gabriel's departure. It is also claimed that talks with Real and Bayern have been arranged, with Barca publicly denying interest in signing the teenager.
