Man Utd stunned as 15-year-old academy star JJ Gabriel requests exit to become free agent

Manchester United have been left stunned after 15-year-old academy prospect JJ Gabriel formally requested to cancel his registration at Old Trafford, seeking to become a free agent. The move comes just a day before Gabriel had been set to make history as United’s youngest ever competitive player, with head coach Michael Carrick having planned to include him in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round squad against Brighton.

Gabriel will now play no part in that fixture. According to reports, a lack of first-team minutes during pre-season is a key factor behind his desire to leave, despite being handed an eight-minute substitute appearance against Atlético Madrid — which made him the youngest United player ever to feature in a non-competitive match.

The teenager, who operates as a left-winger or No 10, grew up in London and passed through the academies of Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers before joining United’s youth setup at 11. He first attracted widespread attention at the age of eight, when a viral YouTube video of his skills earned him the nickname “Kid Messi”.

At United, Gabriel quickly established himself as one of the club’s most coveted young talents. Last season he became the youngest-ever winner of the club’s Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award after scoring more than 20 goals for the Under-18 side, and was also named Under-18 Premier League Player of the Season.

This campaign, Gabriel was left out of United’s Champions League opener against Sabah but responded emphatically in the corresponding UEFA Youth League fixture, scoring a hat-trick in a 5-0 win.

Carrick has described Gabriel as “a really big talent”, while United’s record appearance maker Ryan Giggs went further, calling him “a generational talent”. Gabriel is also a multi-level England youth international and holds a long-term sponsorship deal with Nike.

His departure request is expected to trigger significant interest across Europe. The Athletic reports that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have all previously courted the youngster, while Gabriel turned down the chance to join Manchester City last summer, choosing instead to remain at Old Trafford.