According to The Telegraph, Barcelona is leading the race to sign Manchester United's 15-year-old prospect JJ-Gabriel.

The report indicates that 15-year-old JJ-Gabriel has informed Manchester United of his intention to cancel his scholarship and leave as a free agent, with Barcelona currently leading the pursuit of the English forward.

Last season, he visited Barcelona to tour their training facilities and meet Wojciech Szczęsny and club legend Sergio Busquets. While other Premier League clubs interested in signing him believe Barcelona is leading the race, Gabriel recently followed Real Madrid and several Real Madrid first-team players on social media.

If Gabriel ultimately moves abroad to play, Manchester United would receive only around £300,000 in development compensation due to his EU passport. Gabriel's mother has Greek Cypriot heritage, and his father has Irish descent.

Should he leave Manchester United, the club is expected to investigate whether any football agents influenced the player's transfer decision before September 1, as Gabriel cannot be represented by an agent until that date.

Gabriel will not turn 16 until October 6. Under regulations, clubs cannot sign scholarship agreements with players under 16, or professional contracts with players under 17. However, Manchester United has the right to refuse Gabriel's request to cancel his scholarship. Premier League rules state that during a player's registration period, registration can only be cancelled if the club, the player, and their parents or guardians all agree. If all parties cannot reach agreement, any party can request that the Premier League make a binding decision on the cancellation request.

Manchester United had initially planned for Gabriel to make his first-team debut in the League Cup match against Brighton on Wednesday evening, but 19-year-old Shea Lacey ultimately scored his first goal for Manchester United in that match.

Further indication of Gabriel's departure includes his removal of all Manchester United-related posts from social media the day after he scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League against Shabab Al-Ahli last week.

Last season, he scored over 20 goals for Manchester United's U18 team and became the youngest player in club history to win the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.

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