Deco says Barcelona are not interested in J. Gabriel, while Manchester United are trying to keep the 15-year-old at Old Trafford. Carrick has kept stressing caution around the teenager, and United director of football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada have been tasked with convincing him to stay. Gabriel is expected to turn 16 on Tuesday.
Barcelona's denial and United's response
Gabriel has not trained at Carrington for over a fortnight and is training with a private coach in Barcelona. That detail has fed the speculation, but Deco's line to football365.com was clear enough on Barcelona's side: “We are not interested in any player in his situation.” He also said, “To speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”
Carrick took the opposite tone in comments to A Bola, translated from Portuguese: “he is a young boy, it is important not to expose anything here, we have to be careful with the exposure and the scrutiny.” He added that United have to “be sensible and think about him” and that “The situation will sort itself out.”
The wider pull around Gabriel
The reports have not stopped at Barcelona. Real Madrid have also been linked, Bayern München are in the frame, and Christoph Freund said Bayern know the player because “he’s very talented” and called him “an exceptional talent.” Barcauniversal also reported that United are exploring legal and regulatory options if Gabriel follows through with his intention to leave.
The picture is still unsettled, and that is the part United have to manage. Barcelona have publicly denied interest, United are trying to steady the teenager's camp, and the next date that matters is Tuesday, when Gabriel turns 16.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
