Manchester United suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, a result that arrived alongside confirmation that 15-year-old academy forward JJ Gabriel had formally requested his registration at the club be cancelled with immediate effect. Gabriel had been in line to feature in that fixture, which would have made him the youngest player in the club's history, surpassing the record held by David Gaskell since October 1956, when he appeared aged 16 years and 19 days.
Gabriel did not train on Monday or Tuesday ahead of the Brighton match and was left out of the squad entirely. Without him, Shea Lacey and Mason Mount put United two goals clear inside ten minutes, only for Brighton to fight back through Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross and substitute Maxim De Cuyper. Carrick branded the second-half collapse unacceptable and stated he took personal responsibility for the result and the performance.
The teenager, who turns 16 on 6 October, had scored a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut against Sabah just days before pushing to leave. He has been at Old Trafford since the age of 11, was named Under-18 Premier League Player of the Season last term and has scored twice in two Premier League 2 outings this season. Nicknamed 'Kid Messi', he holds an EU passport, which would allow him to move clubs once he reaches 16.
Real Madrid are now considered favourites for his signature, with Barcelona having also held talks and Chelsea leading the interest among English clubs. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also monitoring his situation. United sources believe the relationship can still be repaired, given that Gabriel cannot be formally de-registered and his contract runs until the end of the season.
The Sun alleged that Carrick's decision to field both Shea Lacey and Harry Amass in United's Champions League fixture against Sabah proved the breaking point for Gabriel's camp. His father, Joe O'Cearuill, a former Ireland international, represents the teenager and has been identified as the driving force behind the push for an exit. Gabriel's social media conduct has added to the unease, after he removed all references to the club from his Instagram account.
Roy Keane was critical of the teenager's stance, pointing to Kobbie Mainoo as a player who bided his time before earning his opportunity under Carrick. Gary Neville directed his sharpest criticism at Gabriel's representatives, questioning why details of the situation had been made public and arguing the leak had come from the player's side rather than the club. Neville compared the handling unfavourably with Arsenal's management of Max Dowman, saying the Gunners had shielded their teenage star from the media after his first-team involvement.
"I just think we've got to be really careful of the whole situation, you know," Carrick told reporters. "He's a young boy, he's 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, is looking after our younger players, their welfare, their well-being, their exposure, and I think we've got to be really, all of us, I think we've got to be really conscious of that, really, in this situation."
Keane was less sympathetic to the player's position, saying Carrick was under pressure to win games and was not in a position to set aside competitive matches for a teenager's benefit. "If some 15-year-old is spitting his dummy out, we'll deal with that," Keane added.
Talks over Gabriel's future are set to intensify over the international break and around his upcoming birthday. England want to call him up but are said to be mindful of his well-being, with all parties in contact over the developing situation.
Reporting: TeamTalk, Mirror, CaughtOffside, The Sun, GiveMeSport, talkSPORT, FourFourTwo, Evening Standard, Metro, Daily Mail, Daily Star.