JJ Gabriel has been training in Barcelona after submitting a request to leave Manchester United, with his future still unresolved as Barcelona and Real Madrid are both mentioned in connection with him. The academy forward will also celebrate his 16th birthday on Tuesday, adding another marker to a week that has kept his situation in focus.
Over a fortnight ago, Gabriel last trained at Carrington after making his request to leave. In the last few days, he has worked with Jack Hunter at the British School Stadium in Castelldefels, which underlines how far his situation has moved away from the familiar routine of Manchester United’s academy set-up.
Where Gabriel is training now
The key detail here is not just that Gabriel has left Carrington behind for the moment, but that he has been training individually in Castelldefels. That is the latest sign that his next step is being handled away from Manchester, even if there is still no clarity on where he will be playing next.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are both mentioned in connection with his future, and that alone tells you the size of the attention surrounding him. For a player still days away from his 16th birthday, this is already a highly watched situation.
More academy stories during the break
This Manchester United academy notebook has also brought other developments into view during the international break. Jack Moorhouse suffered an ACL injury in a friendly for Dundee last week, after going down with a knee injury during a behind-closed-doors game arranged in the break. The injury is likely to end his season.
There was better news for Jim Thwaites, who recently received his first England call-up and then made his debut from the bench. On Tuesday, England U20s beat France 2-1, with Thwaites involved as part of the squad after his first call-up.
For United, the Gabriel story remains the most notable of the lot. A talented academy forward training in Barcelona after asking to leave is not a routine development, and the next step will be watched closely by anyone tracking the club’s younger players.
