Gabriel edging closer to Manchester United exit after Barcelona talks

JJ Gabriel is drawing closer to leaving Manchester United. Sky Sports reports that the youngster and his representatives are in Barcelona for talks over a potential switch to the Catalan club, amid mounting signs the forward wants out of Old Trafford.

The trigger is a formal request for his deregistration so he can become a free agent. Sky Sports adds that the move was made after United’s UEFA Youth League tie against Sabah last Thursday—a match United won 5-0, with Gabriel scoring a hat-trick.

Request to be deregistered

The report says United’s leadership are still hopeful they can convince the player to stay, given he’s under contract until the end of the season. Even so, the situation looks increasingly complicated: Sky Sports notes that Gabriel hasn’t trained with United since the announcement of England youth squads, despite most recently representing England at U17 level.

Sky Sports also outlines broader interest: beyond several Premier League clubs, the forward is attracting attention from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Timing and the FIFA loophole

Finally, Sky Sports points to a belief—based on a previous precedent involving a FIFA loophole—that Gabriel could move to a European club once he turns 16 on 6 October. For now, what’s clear is that talks are already underway in Barcelona as United tries to keep hold of him.