Manchester United reportedly no longer expect JJ Gabriel to return to Carrington or play for the club again as efforts to arrange the teenager’s next move intensify.
A new report from Manchester United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst says Ali Barat, owner of Epic Sports Football, has been brought into Gabriel’s camp as a potential facilitator of his departure.
Barat has reportedly lined up discussions with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich over the highly rated 15-year-old.
More significantly for United, the report says senior sources at the club no longer expect Gabriel to return to Carrington or represent United again.
The development would mark another escalation in a transfer saga that began with Gabriel asking United to cancel his registration.
United have resisted that request and attempted to persuade the academy prospect to remain at the club, but interest from some of Europe’s biggest teams has continued to grow.
Sky Sports has separately reported that discussions with Real Madrid are advancing and that Bayern Munich remain among the clubs interested in Gabriel.
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund has publicly acknowledged the teenager’s ability, describing him as an “exceptional talent”, although Freund said Bayern were not in talks with Gabriel at the time of those comments.
Barat’s involvement has also been reported separately, with the agent said to be the family’s preferred representative once Gabriel turns 16 on 6 October.
The introduction of an established international agent potentially changes the nature of the situation. Gabriel is no longer simply attracting interest from rival clubs; according to the latest reporting, work is now being done to facilitate discussions over where he goes next.
That follows reports that Chelsea are his preferred option should he remain in England, while Barcelona and Real Madrid have pursued a possible move to Spain.
United losing Gabriel would already represent a significant setback given his reputation within the academy.
If senior figures at Old Trafford now genuinely expect him never to return to Carrington, the dispute appears increasingly close to becoming a permanent separation rather than a disagreement United still expect to resolve.
