JJ Gabriel, 15, asks to leave Manchester United before Brighton cup tie

JJ Gabriel, 15, has asked to leave Manchester United and cancel his academy registration.

The request landed a day before he was due to be named in United's first-team squad to face Brighton. That Carabao Cup third-round tie at Old Trafford, England's league cup competition, could have made him the club's youngest-ever player, The Guardian reported.

United do not accept that he can walk away. Club officials say Gabriel has a deal to the end of the season and cannot be deregistered despite his request.

The rules around his age shape the dispute. He can sign a scholarship agreement, the standard two-year deal for 16-year-olds in the English academy system, when he turns 16. He cannot sign a professional contract until he turns 17 in October next year.

Gabriel has been at United since the age of 11. Last season he scored 26 goals in 29 games and has already played twice for England Under-17s.

He is the most recent and youngest winner of United's Jimmy Murphy award, the club's academy player of the year prize. He marked his UEFA Youth League debut, Europe's youth club competition, with a hat-trick against Sabah in a 5-0 win.

United have worked hard to keep him. The club arranged meetings with head coach Ruben Amorim and former manager Sir Alex Ferguson to show Gabriel and his family a pathway to the first team. The Telegraph first reported the request to leave, and has described the forward as 'Kid Messi'.

This is not the first wobble. Gabriel nearly left at the end of the 2024-25 season before staying on. He has since trained with the first team and been presented to supporters at Old Trafford alongside fellow academy winner Tyler Fletcher.

What makes this stand out is the timing. For fans, this was meant to be a first glimpse. A 15-year-old stepping into a cup night at Old Trafford is the kind of moment that sticks, and instead the night now comes with a question over his future.