Man Utd have already completed their best business of window after fending off interest

Manchester United have kept hold of teenage sensation JJ Gabriel and the agreement suggests there are still reasons to be optimistic about the future at Old Trafford

There may not have been much to shout about at Manchester United to date this summer. However, tying down 14-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel, widely considered among the best talents of his generation, suggests there are still strong reasons to be excited about the future.

The mercurial teenage sensation – dubbed ‘Kid Messi’ – is rated so highly within the club, Cristiano Ronaldo previously took a shine to him during his second spell at Old Trafford.

Gabriel caught the eye of the United legend and six-time Ballon d’Or winner when featured in the same Red Devils youth side as Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, whom he formed a close friendship with.

While United have spent the past few weeks haggling over a transfer fee with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo, director of football Jason Wilcox and director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves have struck gold with Gabriel.

It’s understood the pair have both played instrumental roles in edging an agreement with one of the world’s most highly-coveted young stars over the line.

United’s Premier League rivals had been monitoring the situation closely and were ready to pounce should they have received any encouragement Gabriel might be available.

Crucially, he also holds an Irish passport and that is significant because it means Gabriel would be able to feature for teams within the European Union from the age of just 16.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have all been attentive to the situation because usually, gems such as Gabriel are not considered attainable until they’ve turned 18.

For all of their flaws, INEOS have put huge emphasis on the continued importance of their academy and youth development since purchasing their 27.7 per cent stake in United in February 2024.

There is total confidence Gabriel has all the tools to become a first-team regular at the Theatre of Dreams having already scored three goals – two on his debut against Leeds – for United’s U18s.

He also made his England U15 debut in February and is currently the talk of Carrington having frequently wowed club staff.

Last October, ‘Kid Messi’ suffered a heavy, early blow and dislocated his shoulder in a Floodlit Cup fixture against Blackburn Rovers.

Medical staff were reluctant to allow him to continue despite successfully popping it back into the joint. Gabriel insisted he wanted to make amends and he did so by scoring a stunning treble whilst also notching an assist.

It spoke volumes of his character, perseverance and dedication to succeed at one of the world’s most-famous footballing institutions.

United are due to report for pre-season tomorrow and in the past week, Gabriel has been pictured sporting a training kit with an official squad number of 95.

He is not 15 until October and cannot sign professional terms until his 17th birthday. But given Ruben Amorim has needed no invitation to hand youth-team prospects senior minutes, there is every chance Gabriel is on track to become United’s youngest-ever player.

The record is currently held by goalkeeper David Gaskell, who was 16 and 19 days old when he figured for United in 1956.

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