Wayne Rooney says he is not surprised by JJ Gabriel's push to leave Manchester United, describing the teenager's desire to move abroad as something widely known among those close to the club. The 15-year-old forward asked United to cancel his registration with immediate effect last week, a request the club flatly refused.
"I think anyone close to it knew that was coming, and in fairness to Manchester United, they've done everything, absolutely everything to keep him at the club, and I think it's been known that there's been a desire to go and play, probably in Spain. I might be wrong, but this is what you've heard over the years. It's just disappointing, of course, because he's such a top player and he's a lovely kid, so you never know whether it's gone too far and whether there is a chance for him to stay, but I think everyone close to it has probably known that that was going to come," Rooney said on The United Stand.
Rooney has watched Gabriel develop at close quarters over the years through his son Kai's involvement in United's academy. Speaking at the premiere of his Disney+ series The Real Rooneys, he also urged the football world to keep Gabriel's age in perspective, saying: "We have to remember he's 15, he's still a kid. That's a lot of pressure and you hope that the decisions are being made for the right reasons."
Gabriel's representatives have indicated that promises regarding senior involvement were not honoured, and his camp has shown no sign of softening its stance. Agent Ali Barat has been enlisted to help push the move forward, with the player having already travelled to Spain last week to hold discussions with interested clubs. Barcelona and Real Madrid are understood to be the frontrunners, while Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with serious interest. A report from Spain claims Gabriel and his representatives have reached a first major agreement that a switch to Spain represents the best path for his development, with Barcelona holding a particular appeal.
United, for their part, are refusing to rip up Gabriel's registration and allow him to walk away as a free agent — a departure that could leave them with just £300,000 in compensation for a player considered among the finest young talents in European football. The club have a window of roughly two weeks to change his mind before he turns 16 on 6 October, at which point he will be eligible to be legally represented by an agent and, using his Irish passport, to join a foreign club.
The stakes are underlined by what Gabriel has already produced in United's youth system. He scored 29 goals and provided four assists across 32 Under-18 appearances, and marked his UEFA Youth League debut this month with a hat-trick against Sabah.
Gabriel was also dropped from England youth squads this week amid the upheaval, missing out on selection for both the under-19s and under-17s for the upcoming international break. United have meanwhile entered the race for Norwegian youngster Gabriel Rajkovic as they plan for the possibility that Gabriel does depart.
Rooney believes the club are right to draw a line. He argued that allowing Gabriel to force his way out on his own terms would send the wrong message to academy players who genuinely want to be at Old Trafford.
Reporting: Evening Standard, TeamTalk, Mirror, GiveMeSport, talkSPORT, Metro, CaughtOffside.