JJ Gabriel crisis: Loophole could take Man Utd wonderkid to Real Madrid or Barcelona

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Manchester United have been rocked by the news that JJ Gabriel wants to leave the club - and Real Madrid and Barcelona are potential destinations.

The 15-year-old attacker has been earmarked as a star of the future at Old Trafford but has expressed his desire to have his contract with the Red Devils cancelled.

At his age, he would typically be unable to move abroad, leaving him a target for Premier League clubs, but Gabriel’s circumstances mean that Barcelona, Real Madrid or PSG could move for the teenage sensation – a fact that has put Man Utd on red alert.

The loophole that could take JJ Gabriel from Man Utd to Real Madrid or Barcelona

FIFA’s laws pertaining to the transfer of minors (players under the age of 18) are clear: they are not allowed to move abroad except in exceptional circumstances. Typically, these are non-sporting reasons.

International transfers of minors are strictly prohibited unless they fall into a handful of exceptional circumstances, including:

• Parental relocation – for a job change, for example.
• European transfers – players aged between 16 and 18 can move within the EU and European Economic Area providing the club provides schooling, housing and training.
• Border rule – the player lives within 50km of a national border and the signing club is also within 50km of the border.
• Humanitarian reasons – there are rare examples of refugee circumstances allowing a transfer, though these are not driven by footballing reasons.

Born in Enfield, England and an international at U17 level for the Three Lions, Gabriel would not initially appear to fit the bill for any of these factors, but that is not strictly the case.

His father is twice-capped Republic of Ireland international Joe O'Cearuill and a Cypriot mother, Gabriel is eligible to receive a passport for either Ireland or Cyprus. This would make him an EU citizen and, therefore, eligible to move within the European Economic Area once he turns 16, which he will do on 6 October.

In turn, this opens the door to a move to some of the biggest clubs in the world, with The Athletic reporting that Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG are all interested in signing him.

Real Madrid are thought to be leading the race, with Los Blancos ready to integrate him into their Castilla squad.

‘Like Messi leaving Barcelona’

Man Utd, meanwhile, have not given up the fight to retain a player who still has a year left to run on his contract at the club.

The player’s circumstances, however, put the power in his hands to dictate his future, with the signs being that Gabriel will depart Old Trafford.

For the Red Devils, this would be a disaster. One source who spoke to The Telegraph exclaimed: “This would be like Barcelona losing Messi before he had played for them. It would be huge.”

Gabriel is no stranger to hype, even at the age of 15, yet with his transfer demand now public news, the Man Utd youngster faces more scrutiny than he has ever experienced as he prepares to take a career-defining step by deciding where his long-term future lies.