JJ Gabriel, a 15-year-old player known as "Kid Messi", has been playing for Manchester United since he was 11 years old. The youngster has been touted as one of the club's top young talents, but has now formalized his desire to cancel his registration with the club and become a free agent. Manchester United is still trying to convince him to stay, but Keane believes the club should be able to develop its own young players rather than relying on others.
Keane made his comments during an appearance on the "Stick to Football" podcast, where he stated that Manchester United has been searching for young talents in other clubs' youth categories for years. He also mentioned that the club has been developing young players for 20 years, including at Wolves and smaller clubs. This suggests that Manchester United has a history of developing young players, but may be struggling to retain its current crop of talent.
Manchester United's ability to develop its own young players will be put to the test as it tries to convince JJ Gabriel to stay.