Manchester United are locked in urgent negotiations to prevent academy prodigy JJ Gabriel from cancelling his registration with the club with immediate effect.
The 15-year-old striker has informed United of his desire to leave, triggering what insiders describe as a genuine crisis at Old Trafford for a club that prides itself on developing its own talent.
Gabriel had been expected to feature against Brighton in the Carabao Cup this week, but it emerged he has not been training with Michael Carrick’s squad amid a reported breakdown in relations between his family and the club.
Senior figures have become directly involved in efforts to resolve the dispute, with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox both personally stepping in to try to de-escalate the situation.
Gabriel had been tipped to break David Gaskell’s 70-year record as Manchester United’s youngest-ever first-team player, marking him out as one of the most exciting academy prospects the club has produced in years.
A hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut last week only served to underline his extraordinary potential, with the teenager also boasting 26 goals in 26 appearances in the U18 Premier League.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed on his YouTube channel that United are actively in talks to restore relations and that a new contract remains a possibility, though the odds are against the club.
“At the moment, if you ask me about probabilities, looks difficult for Man United, for sure less than 50 per cent that they can change the situation and keep the player. But I would not rule out anything, because the club message today is we will try, we are still talking, we are still trying to sort the situation,” Romano said.
Romano added that the situation remains live on both sides, explaining: “So on one side there is United, trying to reach an agreement with JJ, sort the situation, and keep one of the best talents in the world at the club. On the other side, JJ Gabriel wants to go, JJ Gabriel is considering different opportunities.”
Sources at the club admit they are not entirely sure what triggered the relationship breaking down to this degree, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations.
United retain the option to challenge Gabriel’s cancellation request rather than simply accept it, and with his registration valid until the end of the season, a short window for resolution still exists.
Gabriel does not turn 16 until October 6, which is the date he becomes eligible to sign scholarship forms, either at United or at any rival club that moves for him should his registration be cancelled beforehand.
Chelsea are the first Premier League club to be linked with a move, while Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and PSG have all been credited with varying degrees of interest in the teenager.
If the matter proceeds to a dispute over registration, United would be entitled to training compensation through FIFA’s scheme, though that figure would fall well short of what a player of Gabriel’s profile would command on the open market.
The situation draws uncomfortable comparisons to Paul Pogba, who left United as a teenager in 2012 rather than sign fresh terms, a decision that ultimately cost the club a then club-record £89m to reverse four years later.
Nobody at Old Trafford wants to see that story repeated, and the coming days are likely to prove decisive in determining whether Gabriel’s future lies at the club that nurtured him.