Photo by Poppy Townson - MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Poppy Townson - MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United would not only lose a talented footballer if JJ Gabriel left, but also a very valuable asset.
News has broken that JJ Gabriel wants to leave Manchester United in a decision which has sent shockwaves through the club.
Gabriel was considered United’s best talent at youth level, and reports have claimed that Gabriel was set to make his debut for the Red Devils against Brighton this week.
If Gabriel moves abroad, as is expected, United will only earn £300,000 in compensation. Given his career trajectory, that is a major financial blow to Ineos.
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Kieran Maguire comments on JJ Gabriel’s decision to leave
There is no denying that, even at 15 years old, Gabriel was a valuable asset in United’s books. The media attention and excitement around his potential brought plenty of interest. Yet United are set to miss out entirely on a transfer fee.
United in Focus have spoken exclusively to football finance expert Kieran Maguire on Gabriel’s decision and the financial repercussions.
“Academies have become profit centres and that’s how they are viewed in the boardroom, especially by the likes of INEOS,” Maguire said.
“It’s depressing that children are viewed as commodities at clubs, but Manchester United have been the beneficiaries of this in the past themselves and now may be on the receiving end.
“EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) has made it very cheap to poach children from other clubs, and there now seems to be a free-for-all in terms of monetising the kids for corporate gain.”
Kieran Maguire suspicious of ‘outside influences’ impacting JJ Gabriel
Gabriel was willing to be ‘patient’ this season to get his chance in the United first team, and it was finally arriving in the shape of the Carabao Cup clash against Brighton.
So the timing of his decision certainly came as a shock. Maguire is curious about any outside influences that affected Gabriel’s decision considering he is not yet allowed to have an agent.
READ MORE: Max Dowman steps up to prove JJ Gabriel did not need to rush his Manchester United breakthrough
“As for the children themselves, they are not supposed to have an agent until they are 16,” Maguire said.
“So one has to wonder why JJ Gabriel is now acting in such a manner and whether there are outside influences.”