According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United's young prospect JJ-Gabriel, 16, is planning to leave the club on a free transfer in January.

Manchester United is reportedly surprised by Gabriel's decision. The club had planned to include him in the squad for last month's EFL Cup match against Brighton. Had he played, he would have surpassed David Gaskell, who made his debut at 16 years and 19 days in 1956, to become Manchester United's youngest ever player.

Manchester United still believes the situation can be resolved, as Gabriel's contract has not yet expired. Unless all parties agree, the player born in 2010 cannot be released. However, he turned 16 on Tuesday and can now negotiate a move abroad, facilitated by his EU passport.

According to Sky Germany, Gabriel has made clear his intention to leave Manchester United as a free agent during the January transfer window. The report claims that Barcelona and Real Madrid are showing "very concrete" interest and are prepared to offer the teenager an "XXL package" including salary, bonuses, and a signing fee.

Bayern Munich has not given up and has maintained negotiations, while Paris Saint-Germain is described as "monitoring" the situation from the sidelines.

Sky Sports also reported that Gabriel could soon obtain a Cypriot passport through his mother. Combined with his existing Irish and British passports, this would grant him automatic freedom of movement rights within EU countries.

Amid speculation about Gabriel's future, he traveled to Barcelona to train during the international break and held talks with the club. Barcelona's sporting director Deco had previously downplayed transfer rumors.

On September 24, Deco stated: "There is nothing to say about this boy. We are always linked with players, it's normal. Even for young players, there is an enormous transfer market."

Deco added: "We are not interested in players in his situation. I'm not sure what happened, nor am I sure if he is still a Manchester United player. We are not involved. First, before we take any action, we need to understand the situation clearly. Talking about teenage players is not something we should be doing."

Last month, ahead of Manchester United's away match against Fulham, manager Eric ten Hag was asked about the situation and called for calm. Ten Hag said: "I just want to reiterate what was said earlier in the week: he is a child, and we cannot say anything publicly here. We have to be careful with his exposure and scrutiny, be rational and think about him. The situation will resolve itself."

Gabriel last played for Manchester United in last month's 5-0 UEFA Youth League victory against Sabah.

His father and agent had hoped he would appear in the first team's Champions League match against the same opponent, but Manchester United did not include him in the squad, which angered the player and his family.

Traducido por IA.

¡El sitio web de AF ya está disponible! Consulta noticias, comentarios, detalles de partidos y estadísticas en tu ordenador. Visita: www.allfootballapp.com