Manchester United Youth Star JJ Gabriel Requests Immediate Departure

Highly rated 15 year old striker JJ Gabriel has requested to cancel his registration with Manchester United with immediate effect. The request comes just before Gabriel was expected to make his competitive first team debut in a Carabao Cup match against Brighton. Gabriel has been a standout performer for the club, winning the Premier League Under 18 player of the year award and United's Jimmy Murphy young player of the year award. He recently scored a hat trick on his Uefa Youth League debut and made a senior appearance in a pre season game against Atletico Madrid.

Manchester United officials are reportedly confused and shocked by the development. The club believes the situation may be rectifiable because Gabriel has a contract that runs until the end of the season. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are directly involved in discussions with the player's family. While the club believes they have demonstrated a clear pathway to the first team, reports indicate there have been issues in the relationship between the club and Gabriel's family. Gabriel will not be eligible to sign a scholarship agreement until he turns 16 on October 6, and cannot sign a professional contract until he turns 17 next October.

Previous reports have linked Gabriel with interest from Barcelona and Manchester City. The player has been with United since age 11 and has consistently played for older age groups, scoring 26 goals in 29 games last season and earning two caps for the England Under 17s.