Manchester United talent JJ Gabriel next to a cracked Manchester United badge
Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel
JJ Gabriel’s wishes to quit Manchester United on his 16th birthday and the subsequent media storm that it has created has caused Gary Neville to take umbrage with the player’s father and agent, while the two real reasons why he wants to quit Old Trafford have now come to light.
The 15-year-old is one of the most hotly-tipped young talents in world football and, having been branded ‘Kid Messi’, Gabriel is expected to go on and enjoy a hugely successful career.
Having been at Old Trafford since the age of 11, United had hoped that the teenage sensation would enjoy a rich and exciting future with them, and, after he scored 26 goals in 29 games across U18 PL and FA Youth Cup competitions last season, the club had planned to put him on a fast-track programme into their first team – starting with Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Brighton.
However, those hopes have gone up in flames just a matter of weeks before his 16th birthday.
In a world exclusive back on August 13, our transfer insider Graeme Bailey revealed serious fears were brewing at Old Trafford that the teenage talent could look to leave – news which has since been confirmed this week by multiple news outlets.
And while United are refusing to green light his exit wishes and are still planning further talks with the player, Gary Neville has turned the heat up on those who represent the player and suggests they are making a big mistake.
Neville said on The Overlap: “But I just don’t see the logic from any representatives of a 15-year-old boy who think it’s a good idea to put his name in lights right now.
“You want to try and sort of douse the flames, don’t you?
“You don’t want to add fuel to a fire when you have got basically…”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright responded: “You want to keep him under cover?”
Neville continued: “Max Dowman, if you remember last year when he came on, you know, Sky probably asked for an interview at the end of the game.
“Arsenal said no.
“They got him straight back into the changing room.
“He’s back at school on the Monday morning.”
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The two reasons why JJ Gabriel wants to quit Man Utd revealed
Certainly, the actions of the player’s father and agent have caused an unwelcome storm over the last few days, and while TEAMtalk will decline to pass comment on a family who, rightly or wrongly, only want the best for their boy, the news has certainly heaped a whole lot of pressure on his young shoulders.
All the same, it emerged on Wednesday that JJ Gabriel’s family were pushing to move him on for two reasons.
Revealing the two reasons why Gabriel wants to quit, The Athletic ironically claimed that Michael Carrick’s ‘reluctance to hand him more minutes during pre-season’ and ‘United’s decision not to offer him a senior debut so far’ are the two factors that have forced his exit request.
So where could Gabriel end up next?
Our reporter Bailey has insisted all along that Chelsea remain very much in the hunt for his signature, despite the difficulties that a move within the Premier League would entail.
Elsewhere, a report in The Sun claims United’s worst nightmares could come true if Gabriel makes a move to one of their arch rivals.
Either way, Carrick is keen to remind the watching world that, amid all the hullabaloo, there is a 15-year-old kid at the centre of all this, and the player’s best interests and welfare need to be considered.
Showing a classy touch, Carrick told the Manchester Evening News: “I just think we’ve got to be really careful of the whole situation, you know.
“He’s a young boy, he’s 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, is looking after our younger players, their welfare, their well-being, their exposure, and I think we’ve got to be really, all of us, I think we’ve got to be really conscious of that, really, in this situation.”
When asked whether he gets involved with conversations over Gabriel’s future, or leaves it to club chiefs, Carrick said: “No, as a club for sure, we’re all involved in those conversations.
“I just think we’ve got to be very careful, you know, of that.”
The Man Utd manager further added: “It’s more about the welfare, the care and the attention of JJ as a child, really.
“He’s certainly a young man.
“The situation is what it is, but we have to be careful about the exposure on that one.”
TeamTalk