Barcelona's Deco rules out move for Man Utd's 15-year-old JJ Gabriel as academy winger Ajayi signs pro deal

Barcelona sporting director Deco has dismissed reports linking the Spanish club with Manchester United’s 15-year-old academy prospect JJ Gabriel, while United teenager Noah Ajayi has signed his first professional contract at the club.

Gabriel made headlines last week after requesting that his United registration be terminated — the only route available to him to become a free agent, given he is too young to sign a scholarship or professional agreement. United rejected the request, but will be unable to prevent him from leaving once he turns 16 on 6 October. Because Gabriel holds an EU passport through his Irish and Cypriot heritage, he would be eligible to join a club on the continent from that date.

Barcelona were among the clubs reported to have held talks with Gabriel and his representatives, but Deco moved to shut down that speculation at the Portugal Football Summit.

“There’s nothing to say about this boy,” Deco said. “It’s normal that players are linked with us. It always happens. There’s a huge market for that with a lot of interests involved, even when [players] are young. But we are not interested in any player in his situation. I’m 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. To speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”

The comments represent the clearest public statement yet from Barcelona on the matter, though they stop short of confirming Gabriel’s future at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, United have secured the long-term future of another academy talent. Winger Noah Ajayi, 17, has put pen to paper on his first professional contract with the club. Ajayi has been a consistent performer for United’s Under-18s, where he has featured alongside Gabriel, and also represents Germany at youth international level.

The contrasting developments come during an extended international break that has given manager Michael Carrick’s side a fortnight away from Premier League action. United have endured a difficult opening to the season, winning just one of their first five top-flight matches — a victory over Ipswich Town — while also suffering defeats to Hull City and Manchester City and drawing with both Everton and Fulham. They were also eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Brighton, though they did claim a win in their Champions League opener against Sabah FK.