Teenager JJ Gabriel has asked to leave Manchester United, according to the Telegraph.
Gabriel, nicknamed “Kid Messi,” is widely considered one of the most highly rated talents in European football.
The 15-year-old won the inaugural U18 Premier League Player of the Year last season and was the recipient of United’s Jimmy Murphy young-player-of-the-year award.
Man United included Gabriel in their pre-season tour squad to give him a pathway to the first team, but he only featured once during pre-season.
The England youth international appears not satisfied with the Red Devils’ plans for him. He has now asked the club to ‘cancel his registration’.
There had already been signs that Gabriel’s future was uncertain after he deleted all posts relating to United on his social media account after scoring a hat-trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League last Thursday.
United feel the situation is not ‘irretrievable yet’, although they have the option to reject his request under the Premier League rules.
However, Gabriel’s reported exclusion from the squad to face Brighton & Hove Albion in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash suggests the situation has become increasingly difficult to resolve.
United’s owners will come under further scrutiny if Gabriel leaves the club, particularly if he joins a rival club.
Manchester City have previously attempted to sign the England youth international, while Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also been linked with him.
The owners must ensure that the English youngster stays at United to avoid a further breakdown in their relationship with the fans and send a strong message to other promising academy youngsters that they are at the right club.
