Manchester United face losing one of their players who has demanded to leave on a free, barely a fortnight after the summer transfer window closed on 1 September
Andoni Iraola smiling at Anfield
Andoni Iraola's Liverpool could have the chance to exact transfer revenge on Manchester United(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Liverpool could be among several clubs with the opportunity to sign JJ Gabriel. Our sister title The Manchester Evening News reports that the highly-rated youngster refused to train on Tuesday after sending a formal notification requesting cancellation of his registration.
This chance for the Reds to exact transfer revenge on United could come one week after it was widely reported that Isaac Konde is set to move in the opposite direction. The ECHO understands Liverpool are not in for Gabriel at present but an opportunity is there for the club.
The 15-year-old scored five times against the Reds across two U18 Premier League matches last season. The forward fired in a hat-trick during their 7-0 win at Kirkby before scoring twice within five minutes in a 4-1 win at Carrington in April.
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United sources believe they cannot de-register their player as present. It is said that the club still feel the situation is solvable without having to make him a free agent.
The news comes out a day before they were apparently planning to give Gabriel his competitive debut during their League Cup third round tie against Brighton & Hove Albion. His request effectively rules him out of featuring.
Gabriel was in line to become the club's youngest-ever player. That record has stood for almost 70 years and is currently held by goalkeeper David Gaskell.
However, he now looks set to hold on to that title unless United and Gabriel reconcile before the end of October. Liverpool are no strangers to losing under-18 players, with United's signing of Konde subject only to Premier League ratification, according to the MEN.
The Reds are also understood to be in talks with Arsenal over compensation for Vincent Joseph. If they were to sign Gabriel, then he would be a welcome replacement for them.
However, there are clubs already credited with an interest in the teenager. Barcelona are said to have made a particularly firm pitch to sign him.
JJ Gabriel during Manchester United's pre-season programme
JJ Gabriel has stunned Manchester United with a request to leave(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
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**FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page**Gabriel has scored 29 goals across 32 games for United's under-18s since debuting as a 14-year-old. He was named the U18 Premier League Player of the Season following his first full campaign at that level last term.
This season, Gabriel has two goals in two matches for their under-21s and also scored a hat-trick in his first UEFA Youth League outing.
Internationally, the forward has represented England at under-15s, under-16s and under-17s levels. Gabriel is also eligible to play for Cyprus through his mother, the Republic of Ireland through his paternal grandmother, and Trinidad and Tobago through his paternal grandfather.