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Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel has been heavily linked with Barcelona
JJ Gabriel has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona after he asked to leave Manchester United, and the Catalans sporting director has revealed the truth behind the links.
The 15-year-old is considered to be one of the Red Devils’ most exciting prospects for generations and his request to leave has sent shockwaves through the club.
TEAMtalk transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, revealed in August that Man Utd had concerns over keeping Gabriel, and last week the striker submitted a formal notice to have his registration cancelled with immediate effect.
Man Utd have declined Gabriel’s request and are fighting to keep him, but the situation has, inevitably, led to interest in Gabriel across Europe.
Barcelona, along with bitter rivals Real Madrid have been credited with an interest in Gabriel, while we understand that Chelsea are also keen on signing the teenager.
However, Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, has said that the Catalans are ‘not interested’ in Gabriel as things stand.
“There’s nothing to say about this boy,” Deco told talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs. “It’s normal we always have players linked with us. There’s a huge market for that, even when they (players) are young.
“We are not interested in any player in his situation.
“I am not sure what’s happening, and if he’s still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that.
“First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something.
“And to speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”
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Man Utd haven’t given up on JJ Gabriel
TEAMtalk revealed in an update earlier this week that Man Utd CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox are personally attempting to resolve the Gabriel situation.
There is still hope at Old Trafford that Gabriel can be convinced to make a U-turn, but despite this, the club are preparing for his exit.
We understand that Man Utd have identified Lens sensation Mezian Mesloub as a potential signing that could further strengthen their talent pool.
The 16-year-old is rapidly emerging as one of the most talked-about young players in European football after making his first-team debut for Lens last season and immediately making an impact at senior level.
We can confirm United’s scouts have been carrying out extensive work on Mesloub as they assess the teenager’s development and consider whether he could become a potential long-term target.
Man Utd also made an exciting addition to their youth system by signing 17-year-old midfielder Karim Cassim from Manchester City – a deal that was officially confirmed earlier today.
The Red Devils’ academy are also set to finalise a raid on Liverpool, with Isaac Konde set to make the switch once an official green light from the Premier League is received.
With Gabriel’s future still massively up in the air, it’s still unclear where he will go next, if he can’t be convinced to stay at Man Utd. Judging by Deco’s comments, though, a move to Barcelona is unlikely.
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