What's happening with JJ Gabriel? Man Utd bombshell, Barcelona flight, Carrick comments

What's happening with JJ Gabriel? Man Utd bombshell, Barcelona flight, Carrick comments JJ Gabriel's request for Manchester United to de-register him rocked the club this week as the 15-year-old phenom continues to seek an exit Manchester United are still reeling from JJ Gabriel's shock request to leave. But where exactly do things stand? On September 15, news broke that Gabriel, one of United's most promising young players and perhaps one of the Premier League's brightest prospects, wanted to have his youth registration terminated. This request stunned the club and came the day before they faced Brighton in the Carabao Cup. It was expected that Gabriel, who could have become United's youngest-ever player if he'd made an appearance, would at least be in the matchday squad. The tie was lost 3-2 and Gabriel was omitted. He has not trained since. While United feel the situation can be repaired, the youngster looks set for an exit and has flown to Barcelona as rumours swirl that Gabriel wishes to join another European giant. Mirror Football takes a look at where things stand. FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page Initial bombshell Because Gabriel is only 15, his request, which shook United, was for his de-registration. He cannot sign a professional contract until he is 17 or a scholarship agreement until he turns 16 on October 6. Therefore, the only thing currently tying him to United is a Premier League youth registration. However, for this to be cancelled, all parties must agree. This means that the club, the player and the player's parent/guardian must all give consent. Of course, Gabriel's request made it clear that he and his guardian would agree, but United did not. Had they opted to say yes, then Gabriel would have become a free agent with immediate effect. Reports suggested that Gabriel's initial disgruntlement, one of the primary reasons the request was submitted, stemmed from broken promises of senior involvement. This is not the first time United have faced a battle for Gabriel either. In 2025, executive director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada had to intervene to stop him from joining Manchester City. Barcelona journey However, despite United rejecting his initial request, Gabriel has made it clear that, as things stand, he wants to leave. He has even gone as far as travelling to Barcelona to hear a pitch from the Catalan giants. It is not just La Blaugrana who are supposedly interested, with Real Madrid and other major European powerhouses also being mooted. It is understood that he first travelled to France and then to Spain, where meetings were concluded. Gabriel remains registered at United's academy after they rejected his demand, but this might not stop him from leaving. Because he can obtain a European Union passport through either his former Republic of Ireland international father or mother, who has Greek-Cypriot heritage, once he turns 16, he could refuse a scholarship offer and sign directly with a continental club. Under Premier League rules, turning 16 does not automatically grant him free agency or allow him to sign with another English side. Because United maintain his domestic academy registration, he could not simply head for Chelsea or Arsenal without the club's agreement or a tribunal settlement. But this doesn't apply to clubs in mainland Europe. Whilst FIFA rules normally prevent UK-based teenagers from moving to EU sides until they turn 18 post-Brexit, obtaining an EU passport unlocks the FIFA Article 19 EU exception. Because Gabriel qualifies for EU citizenship through his family, securing those documents will allow him to sign directly with a continental team once he turns 16. Gabriel will celebrate his next birthday on October 6 and when he does, United could do nothing to stop him from jetting off to Barcelona or Real Madrid, for example, and exploiting this loophole. They'd only be entitled to standard FIFA training compensation of around £300,000. Michael Carrick's comments United boss Michael Carrick kept a level head when asked about Gabriel on Tuesday evening. He stressed that the situation involves such a young player and mustn't be taken out of proportion. "We have to be a little bit careful on that one. He's a 15-year-old boy," said Carrick. "It's more about the welfare, the care and the attention of JJ as a child, really. He's certainly a young man. The situation is what it is, but we have to be careful about the exposure and how much we jump on that." When he was asked if he was involved in the discussions around the player's future, Carrick added: "As a club, for sure, we're all involved in those conversations. I just think we've got to be very careful of that." As things stand, though, his club have denied an immediate termination of his registration, but it appears Gabriel is set for an acrimonious departure. United still believe the situation can be mended. But reports in Spain suggest Gabriel could obtain the necessary documentation to eventually move abroad as early as next week. Everything will fall into place when he celebrates his 16th birthday, which is just over two weeks away.