The forward is in Spain with his advisers, where he has held talks with Barcelona and may also sit down with Real Madrid before a possible transfer next month.
The route runs through his passport. A player with EU citizenship can leave England for a Spanish club at 16, a loophole in FIFA’s rules that has been used before, and Gabriel could qualify either via his father’s Irish ties or his mother’s Cypriot roots. Spanish media say the paperwork should be in place next week.
His deal with Manchester United runs to the end of the campaign, and FIFA would have to sign off on any move. Their fallback is a scholarship offer once he turns 16, which would at least entitle them to a limited fee if he does depart.
His side feel they were promised more first-team involvement than they have received. Gabriel came on as a substitute against Atlético Madrid in a pre-season friendly in Stockholm on 1 August but featured for only eight minutes of senior football before the season began, and he was omitted from United’s Champions League squad, which ruled him out of the tie against Azerbaijan’s Sabah earlier this month.
He has stayed away from Carrington since scoring a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut, a 5-0 win over Sabah on 10 September. He was set to join first-team training before being named in the squad for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie with Brighton, which would have made him the youngest player in the club’s history. Brighton went on to win 3-2 at Old Trafford.
The request from Gabriel’s representatives this week, seeking his release, took United by surprise. Sky Sports reports that under Premier League rules a youth registration can only be cancelled if the club, player and parent or carer all agree, otherwise the league can make a binding decision. United refused, and are still trying to persuade him to stay.
Sky Sports adds that Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also interested.
Manager Michael Carrick addressed the subject before United’s meeting with Fulham, stressing the responsibility the club has for a 15-year-old’s welfare.
“I think I’d just repeat what I said the other day, really,” he said. “I think he’s a young boy, JJ, and I think it’s important that we certainly don’t put anything out here.
“I think the exposure and the scrutiny and everything that, you got to be careful and be sensible and think of him as much as anything, so the situation will work itself out, whatever way it’s going to work itself out. Making sure he’s okay is the important thing.”