Manchester United are reeling after JJ Gabriel informed the club he wants to leave, just a week after scoring a hat-trick on his Uefa Youth League debut at Leigh. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are involved in talks hoping to persuade the 15-year-old to stay, though trust is reportedly low.

Gabriel was named Under-18 Premier League player of the year last season at just 14, scoring 23 goals in the competition. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris St-Germain are monitoring the situation.

United's registration of Gabriel runs until season's end, which may deter Premier League rivals. However, European clubs pose a greater threat. Gabriel holds an EU passport through his Greek-Cypriot mother and Republic of Ireland-capped father, meaning United could lose him for no compensation when he turns 16 on 6 October.

Precedents include Louie Barry leaving West Brom for Barcelona in 2019 with no compensation paid, and Jadon Sancho forcing a move from Manchester City to Borussia Dortmund at 17. United face the prospect of losing a player described internally as "the best 15-year-old in Europe" for nothing.