Manchester United academy star JJ Gabriel was pictured meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson on Thursday amid reports linking him with a move to Barcelona.
JJ Gabriel Meets With Sir Alex Ferguson Amid Barcelona Links
Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel met with Sir Alex Ferguson on Thursday evening.
Reports earlier in the week linked Gabriel with Barcelona, with the LaLiga giants reportedly ready to make a compelling offer to sway the 15-year-old away from Old Trafford.
They invited the England U16 international to Camp Nou last year, where he was given a tour of the facilities and met numerous first team stars in an effort to persuade him towards a move.
He was pictured meeting Barca star Lamine Yamal, who signed a jersey for the young talent.
Additionally, Gabriel and his family are said to be massive fans of the Catalan club.
United, meanwhile, view Gabriel as a key part of their long-term project but face a major battle in keeping him at the club, and they are seemingly pulling out all the stops to do so.
Having been convinced by Jason Wilcox, the Red Devils’ Director of Football, to remain at the club last summer, he has since been involved in first-team training on several occasions.
He is now being introduced to club legends, with Gabriel sharing an image of himself and Sir Alex on his Instagram account following United’s 1-1 draw against West Ham in midweek.
Gabriel wrote alongside the photo: “Great honour to meet legend Sir Alex Ferguson.”
United’s performance on the pitch, however, won’t have helped their attempts to get Gabriel to commit his long-term future to the club, as Ruben Amorim’s side underwhelmed once more.
Diogo Dalot put the Red Devils ahead on 58 minutes despite another below-par performance.
The Hammers, who are 18th place in the relegation zone, were able to salvage a point though, as Soungoutou Magassa netted his first Premier League goal with seven minutes to spare.
Bruno Fernandes extended an unwanted record as a result of the full-time scoreline.
Amorim’s side have now won just one of their last five league matches and sit in eighth place, with their consistently poor performances building pressure on the Portuguese manager.
Should the ex-Sporting coach depart or be sacked, frustrated Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is favoured to replace him, according to the next Manchester United manager odds market.
WATCH: JJ Gabriel Hat-Trick vs Liverpool U18
Gabriel shone as the standout star in his most recent outing for United’s U18s, logging a Man of the Match performance and bagging a hat-trick away at Liverpool last Saturday.
You can find his full highlights from the clash below.
JJ Gabriel vs Liverpool u18s (a)
A hat-trick in a total performance from the 15-year-old ⚽️⚽️⚽️#MUFC #MUAcademy
— UnitedAnalyst (@UnitedAnalyst7) November 29, 2025
JJ Gabriel Tipped For FA Cup Involvement
Gabriel, who doesn’t turn 16 until October 2026, is ineligible to play in the Premier League this term, however it has been confirmed that he is able to feature in this season’s FA Cup.
Many have tipped Amorim to hand the forward his debut when United play in the third round.
The third round will be played during the second weekend of January, although it is currently unknown who the Red Devils will face, as the second round is yet to have been completed.
All second round matches are scheduled to be played this weekend, from Friday through to Monday, with the third round draw set to follow Brackley vs Burton Albion on Monday night.
Gabriel and United supporters will be desperate to draw a lower-league side, as it will likely boost the youngster’s chances of making it onto the field to make his first-team debut.
