Manchester United suffered a major setback in their youth academy after prodigy JJ Gabriel formally requested to leave the club, with rivals such as Manchester City also monitoring his situation.
The 15-year-old striker has become frustrated with the recent development of his first-team opportunities and has asked United to cancel his registration immediately.
Gabriel’s request comes after he was left out of United’s Champions League squad against Azerbaijan’s Sabah.
The club also plan to include the highly-rated teenager in the squad for the Carabao Cup third round tie against Brighton, where he is expected to become United’s youngest-ever player.
However, Gabriel has not trained with the first-team squad for the past two weeks and his future at Old Trafford is now uncertain.
JJ Gabriel asks to leave Manchester United
Despite the disruption in Gabriel’s situation, he still managed to achieve impressive results in the youth teams.
The teenager has scored five goals in just three games for United’s Under-19s and Under-21s, underscoring why the club are so keen to address the issue.
Gabriel’s current youth contract runs until the end of the season, but he has now formally requested to be written off before then.
according to the sunThe youngster cannot leave immediately as a free agent and senior figures are determined to repair relations with Gabriel and his representatives.
If the striker eventually leaves, United are expected to demand hefty compensation for his development.
There is also reportedly huge financial interest surrounding Gabriel, with a number of agencies looking to represent the teenager ahead of what could become a major transfer battle.
Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea monitor JJ Gabriel
Reports claim that United are concerned the prodigy could move to their local rivals Manchester City, but they are not the only major club concerned about Gabriel’s situation.
Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also understood to be keeping a close eye on developments, with some of Europe’s biggest clubs assessing the possibility of signing one of England’s most highly-rated young prospects.
Barcelona made a particularly concerted effort to woo Gabriel, who spent part of the summer in Catalonia.
However, City’s interest could become United’s biggest worry given the teenager’s potential availability and the rivalry between the two Manchester clubs.
Real Madrid are also monitoring the situation closely, while Chelsea are also stepping up their game, meaning United could face a major battle to retain Gabriel if the current issues cannot be resolved.
JJ Gabriel’s incredible Manchester United academy record
Gabriel has been regarded as one of the brightest young talents in English football for many years.
He was nicknamed “Little Messi” after a viral video showed off the teenager’s tight control, dribbling ability and talent.
Able to play on the left or as a centre-forward, Gabriel has made rapid progress through United’s academy and has already achieved several noteworthy milestones.
His rapid rise through the Manchester United youth teams produced outstanding results:
The youngest U18 debut: He made his debut for the Manchester United U18 team at the age of 14 and scored twice against Leeds United, making history.
Academy honors: Named the best player in the U18 Premier League for the 2025-26 season.
UEFA Youth League record: Scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Sabah, becoming the youngest match scorer in Manchester United’s history.
Senior debut: In a pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid in August 2026, at the age of 15, he became the youngest player to represent Manchester United in an unofficial senior match.
United now hope they can find a solution with Gabriel and his representatives to avoid losing one of their most highly rated academy prospects to domestic or European rivals.