Manchester United starlet JJ Gabriel on brink of leaving the club

Formal notice to leave

The BBC reports that 15-year-old Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel is close to leaving the club. The player has reportedly sent United formal notice requesting to cancel his registration with immediate effect. The club can challenge the request, since Gabriel's contract runs until the end of this season.

The exact cause of the dispute has not been made public. According to BBC sources, the issue stems from the relationship between the player's family and the club, and Gabriel did not train with Michael Carrick's squad at the end of last week. United are treating the situation seriously: chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are personally involved in talks with the player's family. Club sources say they are not entirely sure what triggered the situation.

Gabriel will not turn 16 until 6 October, when he would become eligible to sign a scholarship agreement with United. He had been expected to make his competitive debut on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup tie against Brighton.

A rapid rise

Born in London, Gabriel — who was only 14 when last season began — won both the Premier League Under-18 Player of the Year award and United's own Under-18 Player of the Year award. He was a key figure in a United side that reached both the FA Youth Cup and Premier League Under-18 finals.

This summer, in a pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, he made his debut for United's senior squad. According to Football365, that made Gabriel the youngest player ever to appear for United's first team, albeit in an unofficial fixture. Last week he scored a hat-trick on his Uefa Youth League debut.

Compared to Rooney

On the show Rio Ferdinand Presents, United legend Ryan Giggs called Gabriel a "generational talent" and compared him to Wayne Rooney, noting the youngster's hunger to always get on the ball regardless of who he is training with. Giggs advised against sending Gabriel out on loan, arguing that Old Trafford — with experienced staff such as Carrick around him — is the best possible environment for his development.