Manchester United wonderkid JJ Gabriel has reportedly submitted a formal request to leave the club and have his academy registration cancelled, just days after making UEFA Youth League history.
The 15-year-old forward, widely known as “Kid Messi”, wants to become a free agent despite being regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Manchester United’s academy.
However, Gabriel has not officially left Manchester United. The club have not agreed to cancel his registration and are reportedly still confident the situation can be resolved.
JJ Gabriel formally asks to leave Manchester United
According to talkSPORT, Gabriel has sent formal notice requesting the cancellation of his Manchester United registration.
The request is significant because Gabriel is only 15 and has not yet signed a professional contract.
He reportedly wants his registration terminated so that he can become a free agent.
But that does not mean he can simply walk away immediately.
Gabriel remains under a youth contract until the end of the season and Premier League academy rules state that a player’s registration can normally only be cancelled if the club, player and parent or guardian all agree.
If agreement cannot be reached, one of the parties can ask the Premier League to make a binding decision on the termination request.
That means Manchester United still have a major role in determining what happens next.
Why does JJ Gabriel want to leave?
The precise reason behind Gabriel’s request has not been publicly confirmed.
Reports have suggested there has been a breakdown in the relationship between Gabriel’s family and Manchester United, but neither Gabriel nor the club have publicly explained exactly what caused the dispute.
United are understood to have been surprised by the request and remain hopeful that the relationship can be repaired.
For that reason, it would be premature to describe Gabriel as having already “quit” Manchester United.
At this stage, the accurate position is that he has asked to leave and requested cancellation of his academy registration.
Exit request comes days after historic hat-trick
The timing has made the story particularly surprising.
Just five days before reports of the exit request emerged, Gabriel scored a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut as Manchester United beat Sabah 5-0.
At 15 years and 339 days, Gabriel became Manchester United’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the UEFA Youth League, surpassing the previous club mark held by Angel Gomes.
talkSPORT reported that Gabriel scored once before half-time before adding two more late in the game to complete his hat-trick.
It was another major moment in a rapid rise that had put Gabriel firmly on the path toward Manchester United’s senior team.
26-goal season made Gabriel one of United’s biggest prospects
Gabriel’s reputation grew dramatically during the 2025-26 campaign.
He was promoted through United’s academy after scoring heavily at Under-18 level and finished the season with 26 goals in 29 matches across major youth competitions, according to reports surrounding his breakthrough campaign.
The Premier League officially named Gabriel the inaugural Under-18 Premier League Player of the Season after he scored 20 goals in 21 league appearances.
The Premier League confirmed that Gabriel became the first recipient of the award.
His rise had actually begun even earlier.
At just 14, Gabriel became Manchester United’s youngest-ever Under-18 player when he appeared against Leeds United and scored twice during a remarkable 13-1 victory.
That performance immediately established him as one of the academy’s most closely watched players.
‘Kid Messi’ nickname followed him from childhood
Gabriel had attracted attention even before his Manchester United breakthrough.
Videos of his dribbling, balance and close control circulated online when he was still a child, leading to comparisons with Lionel Messi and the nickname “Kid Messi.”
Those comparisons intensified as Gabriel began performing against players several years older than him.
He is primarily a winger but has also been used centrally, giving United additional options when developing him through the academy.
Ryan Giggs called him a ‘generational talent’
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs had publicly backed Gabriel only days before the teenager’s exit request emerged.
Giggs described him as a “generational talent” and argued that United should keep Gabriel close to the first-team environment rather than send him away on loan.
talkSPORT reported that Giggs believed training, travelling and working with United’s senior players would accelerate Gabriel’s development.
At the start of the current campaign, Gabriel had already contributed two goals and two assists in his opening Premier League 2 appearances.
He had also impressed during Manchester United’s senior pre-season programme.
Gabriel was close to making Manchester United history
Before the registration request emerged, Gabriel was reportedly being considered for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup squad against Brighton.
A competitive first-team appearance could have made him the youngest senior player in Manchester United history.
The existing record belongs to goalkeeper David Gaskell, who made his United debut in 1956 at the age of 16 years and 19 days.
Gabriel turns 16 in October, meaning there is still a narrow window in which he could potentially break that record.
His exit request now puts that possibility in doubt.
First-team pathway had already opened
Gabriel had already been integrated into Manchester United’s senior environment.
The Premier League reported during the summer that Michael Carrick selected the 15-year-old for United’s first-team pre-season squad.
Gabriel later featured in a senior friendly against Atletico Madrid after spending significant time training alongside first-team players.
The Premier League subsequently identified Gabriel as Manchester United’s potential breakout star for the 2026-27 season.
What happens next with JJ Gabriel?
The immediate question is whether Manchester United can convince Gabriel and his family to withdraw the termination request.
If all sides agree, his academy registration could be cancelled.
If United refuse and no agreement is reached, the dispute could potentially be referred to the Premier League for a binding decision.
Until then, Gabriel remains a Manchester United academy player.
The situation creates an extraordinary contrast.
Within the space of less than a week, Gabriel went from becoming United’s youngest UEFA Youth League goalscorer and scoring a debut hat-trick to formally requesting an exit from the club.
For one of the most highly rated teenagers in English football, the next decision could shape the direction of his entire early career.
Sources: talkSPORT, talkSPORT, Premier League and Premier League.
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