JJ Gabriel is "not ready" for Premier League football like Wayne Rooney was at his age says a former Manchester United academy graduate.
United have made Gabriel a formal scholarship offer in a bid to protect their investment in the teenage sensation, but still face the prospect of losing him for a fraction of his potential value.
Gabriel turned 16 this week, but his future at Old Trafford remains in serious doubt after he and his family requested that his registration be cancelled last month.
The highly rated forward has attracted interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, with Real Madrid believed to be favourites to sign him and Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain also monitoring the situation.
Read also
But former United defender Danny Bardsley believes that while Gabriel's talent is undeniable he needs patience when making the transition from academy football to the senior game.
“His abilities are obviously there, he's an outstanding talent and hopefully goes on to be a great player,” Bardsley told talkSPORT. “But I think the timing's a bit off, the way things are at the club and the way it came out.”
Drawing a comparison with Rooney, who was already physically equipped to compete at senior level as a teenager, Bardsley added: “I think you need to be patient.”
Bardsley knows Rooney well, with the pair good friends, and a viral video showed the pair sparring in the latter's kitchen in 2015 where he was knocked out.
Meanwhile, Bardsley also suggested that agents and parents can influence decisions at a delicate stage of a young player's development.
Rooney was physically ready to play senior football at 16
United's immediate priority is to secure Gabriel's future on contractual terms. Under Premier League youth rules, the club could have faced losing him to a domestic rival for nothing in January had it failed to make a formal scholarship offer for next season.
The offer has now been lodged, meaning any Premier League club seeking to sign Gabriel would need to negotiate a compensation fee with United. If the clubs cannot agree, the matter could be referred to a Professional Football Compensation Committee tribunal.
United would reportedly expect compensation running into millions of pounds, potentially accompanied by performance-related payments and a sell-on clause.
Liverpool's recruitment of Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea provides a recent precedent. A tribunal ordered Liverpool to pay an initial £2.8million, with a further £1.2m in performance-related add-ons and a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
A move abroad could prove considerably cheaper for Gabriel's suitors. Based on the reported FIFA compensation figures for a Category I academy, United could receive around £350,000 if he joins a European club, provided the relevant eligibility requirements are met.
Gabriel is eligible to apply for a European passport through his parents, potentially opening a route to a move before his 18th birthday. United are understood to be prepared to consider legal action if they believe recruitment rules have been breached.
The breakdown in relations has been building for weeks. Gabriel, who joined United aged 11, had been given an individual development programme involving first-team coaching, medical and performance staff as the club sought to accelerate his progression.
He also trained with Michael Carrick's senior squad during pre-season and made his first-team debut against Atletico Madrid, although his appearance lasted only around eight to nine minutes.
His family wanted him to receive a more substantial role, with disagreements over expected first-team minutes contributing to the dispute.
A United squad photograph released this week is understood to have been taken on September 8, before the formal request to leave was submitted.
Gabriel has not trained with United for more than three weeks, despite reported attempts by the club to check on his welfare and repair the relationship.
Popular News
Loading
