JJ Gabriel wants to leave Manchester United over frustration with how his path to the first team has been handled.
Gabriel is understood to have requested a registration termination at Manchester United that would allow the 15-year-old to leave as a free agent. The teenager is regarded as one of the most exciting talents from the club’s academy in years and in 2025/26 was named Premier League u-18 Player of the Season.
Top clubs across Europe are keen to sign Gabriel, with Real Madrid working on a deal. According to The Athletic, Gabriel feels let down by Manchester United over their first-team pathway. He is using Arsenal’s integration of Max Dowman as an example of a leading club bringing through talent at a similar age.
Dowman has made 14 senior appearances for Arsenal, and scored twice in this week’s League Cup win at Ipswich. Last season, he became the youngest-ever goalscorer in Premier League history and the league’s youngest title winner.
Gabriel’s unhappiness comes after he was left out of United’s 25-man Champions League squad, which cannot be altered until the knockout stages next year. Clubs can submit a ‘B-List’ of homegrown players that can feature, but those on the list must be at least 16.
Gabriel has pointed to Arsenal’s inclusion of Dowman on their A-list, which allows under 16s, last season as an example of a superior path to first-team football in North London. United had planned to add Gabriel to their B-list when he turns 16 next month, before the announcement of his desire to leave.
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