Sports

Manchester United Risk Losing Teenage Prodigy JJ Gabriel Amid Family Dispute

By Simon Stone

Manchester United could be on the verge of losing one of their most promising young talents, 15-year-old striker JJ Gabriel, following a breakdown in the relationship between the player's family and the club. Gabriel, who was named Premier League Under-18 Player of the Year last season despite being only 14 for most of the campaign, has submitted formal notice that he wishes to cancel his registration with United with immediate effect. The club retains the right to challenge this request, as Gabriel remains registered with United until the end of the season. He will not turn 16 until 6 October, the age at which he would become eligible to sign a scholarship agreement. Sources close to United say the exact cause of the dispute remains unclear, though it is understood Gabriel did not train with Michael Carrick's first-team squad toward the end of last week. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are personally involved in talks with the player's family, reflecting the seriousness with which the club is treating the matter. Born in London, Gabriel scored twice on his debut for United's Under-18 side at just 14 years old and was a key figure in the team that reached both the FA Youth Cup and Premier League Under-18 finals last season. He also claimed United's Under-18 Player of the Year award. This season, he progressed to the club's Premier League 2 squad, scoring impressive goals in his first two appearances. He made his senior debut in a pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm last month, playing eight minutes before being fouled by Uruguay captain Jose Maria Gimenez. He also scored a hat-trick on his Uefa Youth League debut last week. Gabriel had been widely expected to make his first competitive appearance for United's first team in Wednesday's Carabao Cup match against Brighton, potentially becoming the club's youngest-ever player, surpassing the record set by goalkeeper David Gaskell, who debuted at 16 years and 19 days in 1956. However, the escalating dispute has now placed that milestone in doubt. Gabriel missed out on a possible appearance in United's Champions League opener against Sabah FK, in which the team led 3-0 at half-time, as Uefa rules restricted eligible players to those on the club's official squad list. Instead of Gabriel, midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who is recovering from a knee injury and unavailable until January, was included among United's 25 registered players, alongside 18-year-old Tynan Thompson, a summer signing from Tottenham who has already made his senior debut. United had reportedly worked to build a long-term relationship with Gabriel, including inviting him and his family to sit in the directors' box for last season's Arsenal fixture and arranging a meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson. Wilcox and Berrada were also involved in discussions during the summer of 2025 that persuaded Gabriel to stay at the club rather than pursue other options. Former interim manager Darren Fletcher, who coached Gabriel at Under-18 level, previously said, "The world is his oyster," while a club source once described him as "the best 15-year-old in Europe." Should United fail to resolve the situation and Gabriel is cleared to terminate his registration, he would likely attract significant interest from major European clubs. Under Fifa's training compensation rules, United would receive some financial return, though far less than his potential market value. The situation has drawn comparisons to Paul Pogba's departure from United in 2012, when the midfielder left for Juventus as a teenager before returning in 2016 for a club-record £89m fee.