Manchester United have made JJ Gabriel an official scholarship contract offer, but remain at risk of losing the teenage forward for as little as £350,000.
The prodigy, who turned 16 this week, stunned the club when he asked for his registration to be cancelled last month, setting in motion a scramble among Europe’s elite clubs for his signature.
Under Premier League youth rules, Gabriel would have been able to leave for a rival for nothing in January if the club had not offered him a formal scholarship for next season. The Guardian can reveal that the offer has now been lodged with the player.
Whether he accepts it or not – and it appears unlikely he will stay at Old Trafford – any Premier League club must now negotiate a fee directly with United for the player. If one is not reached, compensation will be set by a Professional Football Compensation Committee tribunal.
At a tribunal, United would expect to receive in excess of £3m, plus a clause in the deal granting them 20% of his next transfer fee. In a previous tribunal for a high-profile academy player, Liverpool were required to pay Chelsea £2.8m up front – with an additional £1.2m in performance-related add-ons – for Rio Ngumoha, and a 20% sell-on clause was inserted in the deal.
A United team photograph released earlier this week featuring Gabriel briefly raised fan hopes of a reconciliation. But a breakdown between his representatives and the club means the forward – who has been at United since he was 11 – is now almost certain to leave.
He was permitted under Premier League rules to sign a pre-agreement after his 16th birthday, but his camp were not prepared to enter discussions after a disagreement over first-team minutes.
His next move is yet to be decided, though it is believed he favours a move to Europe, where compensation would be significantly lower. Real Madrid are favourites to sign him, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain all monitoring developments.
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According to official Fifa compensation figures for a Category I academy, United would receive around £350,000 if he moves abroad. He would ordinarily have been prevented from transferring before his 18th birthday, but is eligible for an EU passport through his parents. The club will consider taking legal action if they believe recruitment rules have been breached.
Gabriel has not appeared at training for more than three weeks and, according to sources, the club has made multiple attempts to check on his wellbeing. To fast-track his progression into the first team, Gabriel had worked with specialist staff usually reserved for senior players.
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