JJ Gabriel's future at Manchester United remains uncertain after he travelled to Barcelona following a request to leave the club. The 15-year-old's decision has sparked interest from several top European clubs, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain, who are reportedly keen on securing his signature. Barcelona's sporting director Deco has denied any interest in pursuing Gabriel, stating that the club is not involved in the situation.
Deco also highlighted the normality of young players being linked with top clubs, but stressed that Barcelona is not interested in Gabriel. Gabriel's decision to leave Manchester United may be influenced by his eligibility to obtain a European Union passport through his father, a former Republic of Ireland international, or mother, who has Greek-Cypriot heritage. This would allow him to join a club in the EU when he turns 16 on 6 October.
The Uefa Youth League tournament rules prevent Gabriel from playing for a side other than Manchester United in this season's competition. Michael Carrick urged for people to be "careful and sensible" about the amount of exposure and scrutiny given to JJ Gabriel last week.