JJ Gabriel is in Barcelona for talks over a move to the Nou Camp after asking for Man Utd to de-register him this week.
JJ Gabriel is holding talks with Barcelona
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Manchester United have rejected JJ Gabriel's request for his registration with the club to be cancelled, but the 15-year-old is nearing an Old Trafford exit after holding talks with Barcelona.
Gabriel's camp submitted a formal request for United to de-register him this week, but that was turned down, with the club still trying to convince the youngster to stay at Old Trafford.
That looks like an increasingly hopeless task and Gabriel and his entourage are now in Spain and could hold talks with Real Madrid as well as Barcelona over a transfer next month.
Although United have Gabriel under contract until the end of this season, there is a precedent for him to move abroad after he turns 16 on October 6 if he holds an EU passport, exploiting a FIFA loophole to sign for Barcelona or Real Madrid.
He could qualify for that through his father's Irish connections or his mother's Cypriot background and reports in Spain suggest he will obtain the relevant documentation to complete a move next week.
United could then be powerless to prevent it, although any move would still require FIFA approval. United can offer scholarship terms to Gabriel from his 16th birthday and although he now appears certain to leave, doing so should ensure they receive modest compensation.
The club were stunned by his request to leave this week and Gabriel hasn't been at Carrington since he scored a hat-trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League last Thursday. He was due to train with the first team ahead of being included in the squad to face Brighton on Wednesday, when he could have become the club's youngest-ever player.
His camp believes promises of senior involvement have been broken, which is why they want Gabriel to leave the club. He played just eight minutes of first-team football in pre-season and was left out of the club's Champions League squad, meaning he was ineligible to make his debut against Sabah last week.
Michael Carrick was asked about the latest situation with the academy forward in his press conference ahead of the game against Fulham, but pointed to the duty of care towards the 15-year-old.
"I think I'd just repeat what I said the other day, really," he said. "I think he's a young boy, JJ, and I think it's important that we certainly don't put anything out here.
"I think the exposure and the scrutiny and everything that, you got to be careful and be sensible and think of him as much as anything, so the situation will work itself out, whatever way it's going to work itself out. Making sure he's okay is the important thing."