Online Reporter
JJ GABRIEL is the Manchester United starlet dubbed as England’s answer to Lionel Messi, but who could also soon be on his way out of the fallen giant.
In the era of social media, the starlet is already one of the most talked-about players at OId Trafford – despite not yet appearing for the first team and being just 15 years old.
Gabriel – full name Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel – has amassed more than 839,000 followers on Instagram, but wants out of the Red Devils IMMEDIATELY after filing a formal notice of intention.
Despite the shocking news, paired with fears he could join Manchester City – as exclusively reported by SunSport – the club’s hands are not tied and they can challenge the starlet’s pleas to rip up his registration.
Premier League rules stipulate that: “During your child’s registration period, their registration may only be cancelled if everyone agrees (the club, player and their parent/carer).”
Meanwhile, the rules say:
“If the parties don’t agree, then any person involved can also ask the Premier League to provide a binding decision on a termination request.”
United sources believe the situation can be rectified and have stressed he cannot be de-registered, while club figures are also baffled by the reports less than a week after Gabriel scored a hat-trick in the Uefa Youth League.
Clubs are not permitted to hand out professional contracts until the player turns at least 17, or scholarship deals until they are 16 – with Gabriel not set to hit that milestone until October 6.
Well-placed sources have said Gabriel’s father, Joe O’Cearuill, has been challenging to deal with and has deleted posts on his X account, having regularly trumpeted his son’s ability.
United fans on the internet have already declared Gabriel – who signed for them at 11 and who is a Nike athlete – the future of the club.
That excitement has only increased last month when he made his first-team debut in a pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid.
And despite his tender age, millions of fans around the world can’t wait for his professional career to start, thanks to what is described by one person who has seen him play as “the magic in his boots”.
That magic has fuelled the expectation that at some point this season JJ is destined to become United’s youngest ever player, and possibly set him on the path to become as famous as other academy graduates such as Sir David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Marcus Rashford?
The record of United’s youngest-ever player is currently held by David Gaskell, who came on in the 1956 Charity Shield aged 16 years and 19 days.
The Sun have spoken to several sources within the football world to get the lowdown on the boy billed as the Premier League’s next superstar.
And the view is firmly that the winger – who has played for England’s youth teams despite qualifying for the Republic of Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago and Cyprus through his parents – will be a star at Old Trafford and beyond.
One who has watched his development at United said: “JJ might only be 15 but he has magic in his boots. Football at the top level is decided by moments, and JJ has the ability to settle games with his skills.
“He is an outstanding player and everyone recognises that – his coaches, the club and his family.
“The only issues now are how to ensure he develops, but doesn’t get pushed into the spotlight too soon and it has a negative impact on his game.”
Another source said they believed he had the talent to play for United’s first team, but is not yet physically developed enough to compete at the top level – Sun.
