Roy Keane tells Man Utd exactly what to do after JJ Gabriel exit threat

· Mirror

JJ Gabriel has submitted a transfer request to leave Manchester United, with Roy Keane delivering a blunt response to the 15-year-old's exit request

Roy Keane says Manchester United cannot afford to focus on an unhappy 15-year-old who has 'spat his dummy out' while Michael Carrick faces mounting pressure and desperately needs results. United were shocked when JJ Gabriel made his exit request this week.

Club officials were taken aback by the development, especially given plans had been in place to include Gabriel in the matchday squad for Wednesday night's clash with Brighton and Hove Albion, with a potential debut on the cards. Had he taken to the pitch in the 3-2 home defeat, a match United had led 2-0, he would have set a new record as the youngest player ever to represent the club.

Nevertheless, United remain confident the matter can be sorted, with time still remaining on his deal. Gabriel cannot be de-registered, though he will be free to explore opportunities overseas once he reaches 16 next month, aided by his possession of an Irish passport.

Speaking on The Overlap, Keane weighed in on the saga but emphasised that United's priority must be securing victories, having suffered a less-than-ideal start to the season. "Carrick's under pressure. Obviously, [Sir Alex] Ferguson, we go back and sometimes you'd throw lads into the first team, but United they need wins," he said.

> "I don't think United are in the position to go 'We can write off a cup game tonight and play a couple of young lads'. No, we need to get some wins, we need to get some momentum into the season and if some 15-year-old is spitting his dummy out, we'll deal with that."

Carrick also addressed the matter publicly following the defeat to Brighton. "I just think we've got to be really careful of the whole situation, you know," he admitted.

> "He's a young boy, he's 15, and for me, definitely, and from a club point of view, is looking after our younger players, their welfare, their well-being, their exposure, and I think we've got to be really, all of us, I think we've got to be really conscious of that, really, in this situation."

Carrick emphasised that the circumstances surrounding Gabriel required careful handling when speaking to Sky Sports. "It's more about the welfare, the care and the attention of JJ as a child, really," he said.

> "He's certainly a young man. The situation is what it is, but we have to be careful about the exposure on that one."

The 15-year-old wonderkid is yet to make his official first-team debut, though he did turn out for Carrick's side during pre-season. Gabriel has been training regularly with the senior squad following his remarkable campaign for United's Under-18s last season, netting 26 goals in 29 matches.

However, Gabriel's future now hangs in the balance after he lodged a request to cancel his registration, though United are yet to approve it. The club remain convinced the matter can be sorted, but their prospects of retaining their academy jewel could become more complicated as the striker nears his 16th birthday next month.

He has no shortage of suitors, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint‐Germain and Bayern Munich amongst the clubs pursuing the teenager. Madrid are understood to have watched Gabriel and were left impressed by his recent display against Sabah, where he grabbed a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League.

As he qualifies for an Irish passport, Gabriel could feasibly transfer to clubs across the continent without facing the same restrictions applied to British youngsters.

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