JJ Gabriel
Wantaway Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel now looks set to be represented by super agent Ali Barat, who has helped facilitate talks between the player's family and two European giants, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Gabriel informed United of his desire to leave Old Trafford last week, stunning Red Devils executives with his request to be de-registered. The prestigious talent is understood to be looking for a clear pathway to first-team minutes over the coming years, and is therefore eager to explore his options on the market.
Players can't formally be represented by an agent until they turn 16, when they're eligible to sign scholarship terms, although Barat and his agency are the favourites to manage the youngster's career.
The super agent has reportedly brought Bayern Munich and Real Madrid into discussions around signing Gabriel, elevating his chances of representing the teenager.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich Monitoring JJ Gabriel's Situation
JJ Gabriel
Gabriel has been touted as a future superstar for a number of years, but he now looks unlikely to fulfil his potential at the club he's been at since he was 12.
After deciding last week that he won't put pen to paper on scholarship terms at United, the prospect and his family are carefully mapping out his next move. The dire form of the Red Devils' senior team is said to have been the driving factor behind this urge to leave, while the emergence of European powerhouses as potential suitors has also likely prompted Gabriel to make this call.
Bayern and Real are understood to be keen on signing the prodigy when he becomes a free agent, and Barat is already looking to put a deal in place for the player.
The Manchester Evening News report that the super agent has liaised with the two super clubs, arranging meetings between Gabriel's entourage and the prospective suitors.
Gabriel has been heavily linked with Barcelona, but the 15-year-old is seemingly weighing up a number of options.
United rejected the player's request to be de-registered, but this won't prevent him from leaving the north-west once he's eligible to sign scholarship terms.
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JJ Gabriel's U18 Premier League Stats 2025/26
Appearances
Goals
Assists
He turns 16 in early October, and a FIFA loophole means he could be granted permission to move to the continent because he qualifies for an EU passport through his Irish heritage and Cypriot-born mother.
If he can secure a passport from either of these nations, then it'll be up to FIFA whether they sanction Gabriel's move to one of these European giants.
United are expected to be entitled to a six-figure compensation fee for a player they've dedicated resources into developing in recent years, although losing one of the game's most promising talents to a continental rival will certainly feel like a major blow.
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