15-year-old JJ Gabriel set to leave Manchester United after broken promises over game time

Manchester United are set to lose 15-year-old prodigy JJ Gabriel after his representatives submitted a request to leave last month, with the youngster having not reported to the club’s Carrington training ground since. Real Madrid and Barcelona have both held talks to sign him, and United are considering legal action if he departs.

Gabriel’s camp had set a clear condition before agreeing to a scholarship deal: at least 20 minutes of first-team football across United’s matches against Sabah, Brighton, and Bournemouth. United planned to hand him his debut against Brighton in the Carabao Cup — a night on which the teenager would have become the youngest player in the club’s history — but his representatives submitted the exit request before that game took place.

The youngster, who turns 16 on Tuesday, could have signed a pre-contract agreement with United at that point. Instead, his camp concluded that his future lies elsewhere, citing what they describe as broken promises over game time. Gabriel was not included in the squad United submitted to UEFA for the Champions League fixture against Sabah, and he did not play a single minute in any friendly after Michael Carrick handed him a pre-season senior debut against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm.

Gabriel has spent the last three weeks training in Barcelona with an individual coach. United have checked in on his well-being since the request to leave was submitted, and Carrick addressed the situation publicly last month.

“I just think we’ve got to be really careful of the whole situation, you know,” Carrick said. “He’s a young boy, he’s 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, is looking after our younger players, their welfare, their well-being, their exposure. I think we’ve got to be really conscious of that in this situation.”

United were initially hopeful a resolution could be found, but the club now expects Gabriel to leave. Should he join a European club, United are prepared to pursue legal avenues to seek compensation for the development investment made in the player.