Manchester United: Messi-compared JJ Gabriel asks to leave the club

At 15, JJ Gabriel has asked Manchester United to cancel his registration and let him leave

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Manchester United: Messi-compared JJ Gabriel asks to leave the club

Manchester United could be about to lose one of the brightest talents in their academy. According to The Telegraph, Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel, better known as JJ Gabriel and nicknamed “Kid Messi”, has formally asked the club to cancel his registration with immediate effect so he can become a free agent.

The request has shocked Manchester United, especially as Gabriel has been with the club since the age of 11. At this stage, he is not believed to be preparing to join another club immediately, but he has informed United that he no longer wishes to continue there.

Exclusive: 15-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel tells Manchester United he wants to leave and asks for his registration to be cancelled #mufc

- Plus, a big read on how it ever got to this for a club famed for developing the country's best young talenthttps://t.co/WkF9B6OhbZ
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) September 15, 2026

United can still challenge the request

The situation is complicated by his age. English clubs cannot sign players to professional contracts until they are 17, while scholarship agreements cannot be signed before the age of 16. Gabriel does not turn 16 until October 6, meaning United can challenge his request through the Premier League if the club, player and family do not reach an agreement.

According to The Telegraph, United do not yet see the situation as irretrievable and still hope to find a solution. However, the timing is particularly difficult, coming after the Manchester derby defeat and renewed protests against Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family.

A talent compared to Rooney and Messi

Gabriel made headlines again last week by scoring a hat-trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League. Last season, he became the youngest-ever winner of Manchester United’s Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.

Ryan Giggs has already described him as a “generational talent” and compared his development to Wayne Rooney’s. A source at one of United’s rivals even told The Telegraph that losing him would be like “Barcelona losing Messi before he had played for them”.

Another significant sign came the day after his hat-trick against Sabah, when all references to Manchester United were removed from his social media accounts. JJ Gabriel’s future has now become one of the most sensitive issues facing the club’s academy.