Wayne Rooney Saw the JJ Gabriel Bombshell Coming—Here's Why His Take Carries Real Weight

Manchester United "have done everything" to retain 15-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel at the club according to Red Devils icon Wayne Rooney, who has a closer connection to the situation than most given that his own teenage son, Kai, has featured in the same academy sides.

It was widely reported earlier this month that Gabriel and his family submitted a request to cancel his registration with United. This appeared to stem from frustration over a lack of senior-team opportunities for the young forward this campaign.

He was restricted to just eight minutes during preseason and was omitted from the Champions League squad, for which he needed 'List A' status due to his age. On the very day United kicked off their league phase with a 4–0 victory over Sabah at Old Trafford, Gabriel netted a hat-trick against the same club's U-19s in the UEFA Youth League.

However, he hasn't been in training since, and news of his wish to depart surfaced the day before the club faced Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup third round last week. Ironically, reports suggested there had been plans to include Gabriel in that matchday squad with the intention of giving him his debut.

Reports this week suggested United's competitive "decline" is also a contributing factor.

United can challenge the request to cancel Gabriel's registration, but by the end of the season he would be free to leave regardless. He could even depart sooner to move abroad, with his 16th birthday next month potentially opening the door to Spain or another European Union (EU) country. Real Madrid and Barcelona are strongly linked, while Bayern Munich are also said to be interested.

Gabriel would need to wait until the summer to join Manchester City, Arsenal or Chelsea, unless United relent before that point, which appears unlikely.

Rooney spoke on the latest episode of Stick to United, explaining he has watched "JJ grow up" due to his closeness in age to Kai—the young Rooney is a year older and currently a first-year scholar, part of the two-year program through which players can turn professional.

But, Rooney said, "Anyone close to it knew that was coming."

Man Utd Couldn't Have Done More to Keep JJ Gabriel

The alleged involvement of Gabriel's father, former professional player Joe O'Cearuill, has been central to much of the coverage surrounding this saga. He is a vocal social media presence who previously compared his son—reportedly renamed JJ Gabriel to boost his 'marketability'—to Lamine Yamal. The Spanish star has redefined expectations in recent years through his rapid ascent, leading players as young as 15—and their families—to believe senior football at a similar age is achievable.

"In fairness to Manchester United they have done everything, absolutely everything, to keep him at the club," said Rooney, Old Trafford's former captain and all-time leading scorer.

His credibility on the matter comes from two angles. Beyond his son's own academy path, Rooney was himself a teenage prodigy nearly 25 years ago and experienced similarly "special" treatment.

"The club have treated him probably differently to the other players because he is such a special player. I know, I recognize that, because I was that player at Everton. I was getting that treatment at Everton," he reflected. "As a club, you need to do [it] to try to keep the better players. It's disappointing because [Gabriel] is such a top player and a lovely kid."

What Makes JJ Gabriel So Special?

All this attention surrounds someone who won't legally be able to drive in the U.K. for another year. Yet Gabriel is regarded as a generational talent with the potential to reach world-class status.

"He is a top player. His ability, his balance, he has shown he can step up through the age groups and score goals," Rooney said, pointing to the fact that Gabriel was playing U-18 football at 14, and began this season by scoring twice at U-21 level against players up to six years his senior.

"The next step is first-team football where it's different, and you never know until you're in there. But he's such a special talent who understands the game really well. At some point this season he would [have] made his debut for the first-team, I'd imagine. That's where it's disappointing."