JJ Gabriel: 15-Year-Old 'Kid Messi' Asks to Leave Manchester United
- JJ Gabriel, the 15-year-old prodigy nicknamed 'Kid Messi', has formally requested to cancel his registration at Manchester United
- Gabriel made the headlines after scoring a hat-trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League last week
- Man City attempted to sign Gabriel from United last year, with Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich also linked to the teenager
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Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel, the 15-year-old Manchester United academy player widely known as "Kid Messi", has formally requested to terminate his registration at the club.
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JJ Gabriel asks to leave Man United
According to The Telegraph, Gabriel submitted an official notice requesting the cancellation of his registration with immediate effect.
Sources indicate he is not poised to sign with another club straight away but has nonetheless resolved to part ways with United, where he has trained since the age of 11.
The situation is complicated by age-related regulations in English football.
Clubs are prohibited from offering professional contracts to players below the age of 17 or scholarship agreements to those under 16, a threshold Gabriel will not reach until 6 October. United retain the right to formally contest the cancellation request.
Premier League rules specify that a player's registration during the relevant period can only be cancelled with the agreement of all parties — the club, the player and their parent or guardian.
Should no agreement be reached, any party involved may request that the Premier League issue a binding decision on the matter.
The club had reportedly planned to include him in the first-team squad for a forthcoming Carabao Cup fixture against Brighton.
JJ Gabriel tipped for greatness
Gabriel's profile rose sharply just last week after he netted a hat-trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League.
He had previously made history at United by becoming the youngest recipient of the club's Jimmy Murphy young-player-of-the-year award.
Former United winger Ryan Giggs, himself a past winner of that same accolade, described Gabriel as a "generational talent" and compared his trajectory to that of Wayne Rooney's early development.
Gabriel scored more than 20 goals for United's under-18 side last season, and he had been widely expected to make his senior debut for the club this term.
A source at a rival Premier League club told Telegraph Sport: "This would be like Barcelona losing Messi before he had played for them. It would be huge."
Manchester City made an attempt to lure Gabriel away from United as recently as last year. Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also been credited with interest in the teenager, underlining the extraordinary level of attention surrounding a player who has not yet made a senior professional appearance.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
