According to Manchester Evening News, 15-year-old wonderkid JJ-Gabriel of Manchester United has requested to leave the club, a decision that has shocked those within the club. United had previously designed an accelerated development plan for the youngster and was preparing to include him in the squad for the match against Brighton, with the goal of him breaking the record as the club's youngest-ever player, but that plan may now not come to fruition.

Last week, Gabriel scored a hat-trick in a match against Shabab Al-Ahli's youth team. He returned to the changing room at Carrington with a beaming smile. After the match, academy coach Adam Lawrence praised Gabriel, saying he was in "great" form. However, just an hour later, Gabriel deleted his social media account.

His bio erased all mentions of United, leaving only "nikefootball." This suggested something might be changing, so when shocking news broke on Tuesday that Gabriel had requested to leave United, it was not entirely without warning. Nevertheless, the news still came as a shock to the club. United was confused about why Gabriel would request to leave at this moment, especially when the club had planned to include him in the squad for Wednesday night's match, with the possibility of a first-team debut. Had he played, he would have become United's youngest-ever player.

Given the terms of his contract, United still believes the current situation can be salvaged. Gabriel cannot be de-registered at this point, but next summer he will have the opportunity to leave, and the club does not want to lose him. After Gabriel submitted his departure request, an insider suggested the situation could still be smoothed over by one thing—money. However, whether that will be enough to keep Gabriel and how much more United is willing to spend remains to be seen.

United believes the club has done everything possible to show Gabriel that he has a clear pathway to the first team. He has been developed according to an accelerated plan and has received unprecedented support for a player of his age.

This all began when Gabriel arrived at United. At that time, the club arranged for him to appear alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's son at an Old Trafford press conference, one of many special arrangements United made to make him feel valued. When Gabriel was very young, United arranged for him to speak with Marcus Rashford. The club also arranged for him to meet Ruben Amorim at Carrington, had a brief conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, and invited his family into the directors' box multiple times to watch matches.

After Gabriel met with Amorim, a photo of the two circulated on social media. Amorim, who was United's manager at the time, was unhappy that Gabriel's father publicly shared the photo. The image was later deleted but had already spread widely online. United always knew that no matter what the club did for Gabriel, it might not be enough to keep him. Gabriel's father was a professional footballer whose career ended prematurely due to injury, and he has long dreamed that his son would one day play for Barcelona and become a star.

Manchester Evening News revealed in April 2025 that Gabriel would make his Manchester United U18 debut at just 14 years old. A few months later, he nearly left United. Had there not been a last-minute meeting, he would have departed.

Immediately after that meeting, Manchester Evening News revealed that both United's Football Director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada attended, reflecting the importance senior club leadership placed on Gabriel. Given Gabriel's age at the time, what happened in that meeting was extraordinary. United reminded him that he could become a figurehead for the club in the future, while also promising further special arrangements. Ultimately, all parties agreed that Gabriel would stay at Manchester, and one of the key factors encouraging him to remain was his own desire to continue playing for United.

Sources revealed that on that day, Gabriel shed tears, feeling very emotional about the possibility of leaving United. Gabriel loves representing United and is also very close to some of his academy teammates. United staff have always been impressed by his politeness and humility. However, ultimately, a young player at the start of his career will always rely on his family and advisors.

Now, Gabriel's representatives have decided to attempt to leave United. They could do so freely next summer, but Gabriel's current contract does not expire until the end of this season, so requesting that United release him immediately and make him a free agent seems highly unusual. However, looking back at a series of previous events, some clues can be found that may have led to this request.

Manchester Evening News reported in March this year that Gabriel would have the opportunity to participate in first-team activities during pre-season. The young player was first included in a first-team squad when United traveled to Trondheim to play Rosenborg. United eventually beat Rosenborg 5-0, but Gabriel did not play. However, he was still very excited to be with the team. When he left the stadium after the match, someone congratulated him on being in the first-team squad, and he politely replied: "Thank you."

Later, he also had a special moment with his mother, when the two took a photo together with his shirt. Michael Carrick subsequently brought Gabriel on as a substitute in a pre-season friendly against Atlético Madrid in Stockholm, marking his pre-season first-team debut. The young player again appeared very happy. But for those around him, the fact that it was his only playing time throughout the entire pre-season was another matter entirely.

The various special arrangements United had previously made for him were important in demonstrating the club's appreciation for him, but actual playing time with the first team is even more important. There has always been speculation that Gabriel's father wants his son to become one of the youngest players in football history.

Ethan Nwaneri made his Premier League debut at 15 years and 181 days old, Max Dowman at 15 years and 235 days, and Jeremy Monga at 15 years and 271 days; these three players rank among the youngest in Premier League history. Last season, Gabriel was not old enough to play in the Premier League. However, by the opening match of the Premier League this season, when United played Hull City, he was 15 years and 320 days old.

Because Hull City led 2-0 at halftime, that match was not a realistic or appropriate opportunity for Gabriel to come on as a substitute. But in the next match against Ipswich, it was thought to be an opportunity for him to play when he was 15 years and 328 days old. Had Gabriel come on as a substitute that day, he would have become the fourth-youngest player in Premier League history, and those around him believe his talent is even greater than Nwaneri's, Dowman's, and Monga's.

United believes the club has done everything possible to show Gabriel that he is an important part of the team's future plans. He was originally set to have the chance to become United's youngest-ever player in the Brighton match on Wednesday night, but he will no longer have that opportunity. However, at the same time, this also means that if Gabriel ultimately leaves United, the compensation fee the club could receive will also be reduced.

Since the Brighton match was originally the first opportunity to include Gabriel in the official first-team squad, and the club was aware of the significant media attention surrounding the player, Carrick had previously prepared to answer questions about Gabriel at the pre-match press conference. However, this press conference took place after the Manchester derby. Because United had just lost to Manchester City in a controversial match, no journalists asked about Gabriel at that time, and the 15-year-old's situation temporarily went unnoticed.

But after the Brighton match, Carrick will almost certainly be asked about Gabriel's current situation. It may seem somewhat absurd that a 15-year-old player's future could cause such a major upheaval, but JJ-Gabriel is no ordinary 15-year-old player.

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