**Chelsea are “leading” the pursuit among English teams for Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel, according to reports.**
The 15-year-old submitted a letter of deregistration to leave United’s academy earlier this week, and while the Red Devils are not obligated to release him, his future at the club remains in doubt.
Arsenal, Manchester City and several other Premier League teams are said to be keen on signing Gabriel.
However, [_TEAMtalk_](https://www.teamtalk.com/manchester-united/jj-gabriel-talks-real-madrid-barcelona-chelsea-man-utd-deadline-october) claim that the Blues would be the player’s likeliest destination IF he remains in the UK. There are, though, complications in the teenager making a move to another English side.
Why are Chelsea and other clubs so desperate to sign him?
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You only have to look at Gabriel’s record at youth level to see that he possesses huge potential. For Man Utd’s Under 18s, he has found the back of the net 29 times in 32 appearances. After moving up to the Under 21s this summer, he has scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists in his first 2 appearances.
Ryan Giggs has described him as a “generational talent”, while Rio Ferdinand has also consistently praised his ability.
Gabriel’s Irish passport may hold the key
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As mentioned, United are not obligated to release the forward, but he does have the power to move abroad when he turns 16 under FIFA regulations, which does mean Chelsea could lose out to a club on the continent.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are said to be the favourites to recruit Gabriel, and the move would be possible as the youngster is in possession of an Irish passport due to his family heritage.
FIFA restricts international [**transfers**](https://chelseanews.com/blog/premier-league-clubs-net-spend-summer-2026/) for those under the age of 16, but there are exceptions that mean an EU player between 16 and 18 can switch teams within the EEA (European Economic Area).
Gabriel turns 16 at the beginning of October, and he could use his Irish passport to join Barca or Real.