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

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.

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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 .

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.