According to Manchester Evening News, 15-year-old Manchester United wonderkid JJ-Gabriel has requested to leave the club, a decision that shocked people inside the organization. Manchester United had previously devised an accelerated development plan for him and was preparing to include him in the squad against Brighton with the aim of breaking the club's record for youngest player, but those plans are now unlikely to materialize.

Last week, Gabriel scored a hat-trick against Shabab Al-Ahli's junior team. When he returned to the dressing room at Carrington Training Ground, he still had a bright smile on his face. After the match, Adam Lawrence praised Gabriel and stated that he was currently "in top form." However, just an hour later, Gabriel cleared his social media accounts.

He deleted all content related to Manchester United from his bio, leaving only "nikefootball." This suggested that something might change, so when the shocking news broke on Tuesday that Gabriel had requested to leave Manchester United, it was not entirely without warning. Nevertheless, the news still came as a surprise to Manchester United. People inside the club were bewildered as to why Gabriel was making this transfer request now, particularly since Manchester United had planned to include him in the squad for the following night's match and potentially give him his senior debut. If he played, he would become Manchester United's youngest player ever.

Given the length of his contract, Manchester United still believes the current situation can be salvaged. Gabriel cannot be released immediately, but next summer he will have the opportunity to leave, and the club does not want to lose him. After Gabriel made his transfer request, an industry source suggested that the situation could still be resolved by one thing — money. However, whether this will be enough to retain Gabriel, and how much Manchester United is willing to offer, remains to be seen.

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

It all started when Gabriel arrived at Manchester United. At the time, the club arranged for him to appear with Cristiano Ronaldo's son in the Old Trafford press room, which was one of many special arrangements Manchester United made to make him feel valued. When Gabriel was still very young, Manchester United arranged for him to speak with Marcus Rashford. The club also arranged for him to meet Ruben Amorim at Carrington, had him briefly speak with Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, and invited his family on several occasions to watch matches from the directors' box.

After Gabriel met Amorim, a photo of the two circulated on social media. Amorim, who was Manchester United manager at the time, was unhappy because Gabriel's father publicly shared the photo. The photo was later deleted, but it had already spread widely online. Manchester United always knew that no matter how much the club did for Gabriel, it might not be enough to retain him. Gabriel's father is a former professional footballer whose career was cut short by injury, and he has always dreamed of his son one day playing for Barcelona and becoming a star.

Manchester Evening News reported in April 2025 that Gabriel was close to making his Manchester United U18 debut at age 14. A few months later, he came close to leaving Manchester United. If not for a final meeting, he would have gone then.

Shortly after that meeting, Manchester Evening News revealed that Manchester United Football Director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada were both present, reflecting the importance senior management placed on Gabriel. Given Gabriel's age at the time, what happened in that meeting was remarkable. Manchester United once again emphasized to him that he could be a representative figure for the club in the future, while also promising further special arrangements. Ultimately, all parties agreed that Gabriel would remain in Manchester, and one key factor that kept him was his own desire to continue playing for Manchester United.

Sources revealed that on that day, Gabriel shed tears, feeling extremely emotional at the thought of potentially leaving Manchester United. Gabriel enjoys representing Manchester United and is also very close to some of his academy teammates. Manchester United staff have always been impressed by his politeness and humility. However, ultimately, young players early in their careers will always be dependent on family and advisors.

Now, Gabriel's camp has decided to try to leave Manchester United. They are free to do so next summer, but Gabriel's current contract does not expire until the end of this season, so asking Manchester United to release him and make him a free agent now seems highly unusual. However, reviewing the sequence of previous events can also provide some clues as to what prompted this request.

Manchester Evening News reported in March this year that Gabriel would have the opportunity to participate in first-team activities during preseason. The young player was first included in the first-team squad when Manchester United traveled to Trondheim to play against Rosenborg. Manchester United eventually won 5-0 against Rosenborg, but Gabriel did not play. However, he was still delighted 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 with "thank you."

After that, he also shared a special moment with his mother, taking a photo together in his jersey. Michael Carrick then brought Gabriel on as a substitute in a preseason match against Atlético Madrid in Stockholm, marking his first-team preseason debut. This time, the young player also appeared very happy. But for those around him, the fact that this was ultimately his only playing time throughout preseason was a different matter.

The various special arrangements Manchester United had previously made for him were important in demonstrating the club's appreciation, but actual first-team playing time is more important by comparison. It has always been suspected that Gabriel's father wants his son to become one of the youngest players in football history to make a senior appearance.

Ethan Nwaneri made his Premier League debut at 15 years and 181 days, Max Doehman 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, in the season's first Premier League match against Hull City, he was already 15 years and 320 days old.

Because Hull City led 2-0 at halftime, that match was not a realistic or suitable opportunity for Gabriel to come on as a substitute. But in the following match against Ipswich, one might have considered it an opportunity to give him playing time, as he was 15 years and 328 days old then. If Gabriel had come on as a substitute that day, he would have been the fourth-youngest player in Premier League history, and those around him believe his talent is even greater than that of Nwaneri, Doehman, and Monga.

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

Because the Brighton match was originally the first opportunity to include Gabriel in a competitive 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 Manchester United had just lost to Manchester City in a controversial match, no reporters asked about Gabriel at that time, and the situation of the 15-year-old player temporarily fell out of focus.

However, after the Brighton match, Carrick will almost certainly be asked about Gabriel's current situation. It is somewhat extraordinary that the future of a 15-year-old could cause such a stir, but JJ-Gabriel is not an ordinary 15-year-old player.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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