Manchester United have been rocked by JJ Gabriel’s stunning transfer request.
According to The Telegraph, the 15-year-old nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’ has asked United to cancel his registration and let him become a free agent.
Gabriel has been at United since he was 11. He was heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester City last year, but United were able to keep him away from their ‘noisy neighbours’.
He is once again pushing to leave the club. United can still challenge the request, but they can only blame themselves for letting the situation reach this point.
Gabriel became the youngest winner of United’s Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award last season after scoring 23 goals in as many league games for the Under-18s.
He also scored three times in six FA Youth Cup games to lead United to the final.
Gabriel was part of Michael Carrick’s first team squad during pre-season and scored a sensational hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut last week.
Former United winger Giggs has described him as a ‘generational talent’ and compared his development with Wayne Rooney.
Those are extraordinary words for a player who has not even turned 16, so losing him would be a massive blow to United.
However, United cannot simply hand a 15-year-old a place in the starting XI.
Clubs have to protect young players, and there are limits to what you can reasonably expect from someone still in school-age football.
But that is not really the point. The real question is whether United offered Gabriel a clear path to senior football.
United have a history of being one of England’s most successful talent factories and Gabriel’s imminent exit would be an indictment of those calling the shots behind the scenes.
United may have believed they have plenty of time to show Gabriel how valued he is at the club, but they could now be punished for dragging their heels.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are already circling, so United have a massive battle on their hands.
If they lose Gabriel and he goes on to become a superstar elsewhere, United would look back at this moment with considerable regret.
