Manchester United
JJ Gabriel and the questions raised by his reported Manchester United exit request
Gabriel’s reported exit request has put United’s academy pathway under scrutiny after a rapid rise.
JJ Gabriel has spent months being spoken of as Manchester United’s next major academy talent, yet the 15-year-old now appears to be at the centre of a possible departure from Old Trafford.
His recent form has only reinforced that reputation. Last week, Gabriel struck a hat-trick against Sabah in a UEFA Youth League rout. He had already been named last season’s U-18 Premier League Player of the Year, despite being only 14 when the campaign began. He also became the youngest player to win the Jimmy Murphy Player of the Year award, the annual honour given to the club’s best U-18 player.
There have been encouraging numbers this season as well. In Premier League 2, Gabriel has recorded two goals and two assists in two matches, which led to expectations that he could at least make the bench for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion. That, however, now seems unlikely, and there is concern that his future could lie away from the club entirely.
The uncertainty sharpened when all reference to Manchester United vanished from his Instagram account. Reports from beat reporters at The Athletic and BBC Sport say Gabriel has formally asked for his registration to be cancelled.
Because he is still too young to sign the two-year scholar deal that normally precedes a professional contract, a cancellation would immediately make him a free agent. United can still block the move, as cancelation requires agreement from the player, the parent or carer, and the club.
United are said to be shocked, though still hopeful that matters can be resolved. Chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox are involved in that process. If there is no outcome, the Premier League may need to step in.
The exact cause remains unclear. BBC Sport refers to “issues in the relationship between the player’s family and United,” while The Athletic and Sky Sports suggest the frustration may centre on opportunities. Sky Sports adds that “part of the reasoning for Gabriel’s request to leave is over game time, both in preseason and since the season started.” There has been no issue with his attitude in training.
Given his age, that focus on minutes is unusual. But recent football has shifted expectations. Because he does not yet have the two-year history required for List B, Gabriel had to be included on List A to feature in the Champions League. Sky Sports also says “there is a feeling” from his side that others have been given better chances. Tynan Thompson, signed from Tottenham Hotspur’s academy in the summer, did make List A, although he has not yet been in a first-team squad.
United believe they have done enough to show a route to the first team. Gabriel trained with senior players at times over the past year and previously met former boss Ruben Amorim, before also being introduced to Sir Alex Ferguson. He was in and around first-team work for much of the last year, but was suddenly absent from the end of last week.
For now, United can point to other young players on the edge of involvement. Yet if Gabriel leaves and goes on to fulfil the obvious potential around him, it would be a significant miss.
Manchester United
Baleba injury compounds United’s mixed night against Roma
Baleba’s injury clouded United’s Roma win, even as Fernandes and Cunha turned the match around.
Manchester United’s Champions League meeting with Roma on Tuesday delivered both relief and concern, with Carlos Baleba’s latest injury casting a shadow over a comeback win.
Baleba, who had already missed the beginning of the season because of an ankle problem, went down in clear discomfort after driving forward in the second half. He was holding his hamstring before dropping to the turf, prompting immediate treatment from medical staff on the pitch. The summer signing looked emotional before he was withdrawn in the 51st minute and replaced by Youri Tielemans.
The setback only deepened the frustration around a player who has made just six appearances for the club since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion. Michael Carrick is expected to offer an update on the injury in the coming hours.
Even so, United found a way through. Bruno Fernandes levelled matters from the spot after being given a second attempt at his penalty when encroachment forced a retake of the saved effort. Later, Matheus Cunha struck twice to complete a 3-2 victory for the hosts and keep the match from slipping away.
The result offered a rare lift in a difficult spell, but the broader picture remains bleak. Carrick has been managing a depleted squad for some time, with Benjamin Šeško, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte still out with long-term issues. Kobbie Mainoo has only just returned, while Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martínez have also spent time in the infirmary.
That injury situation, combined with an underwhelming summer transfer window, has left United short on depth during an important run of fixtures. Before the visit of Roma, they had not won a single game in that stretch.
Manchester United
Baleba setback deepens Manchester United’s injury crisis
Baleba’s injury against Roma added to a growing Manchester United crisis and thin squad.
Manchester United’s difficult run took another hit on Tuesday when Carlos Baleba picked up what appeared to be a serious injury in the Champions League meeting with Roma.
The summer signing, who had already missed the opening stretch of the campaign because of an ankle problem, looked in clear distress after pushing forward on a run in the second half. He was seen clutching his hamstring before going to the turf, and the concern around him was obvious.
Medical staff treated him on the pitch, and Baleba seemed emotional before he was withdrawn in the 51st minute and replaced by Youri Tielemans. Michael Carrick is expected to offer a fuller assessment after the final whistle.
It is a bitter blow for a player who has made only six appearances in a red shirt since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion, but the wider impact on United may be even greater.
Carrick is already dealing with a long list of absentees. Benjamin Šeško, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte are all still sidelined with longer-term problems, while Kobbie Mainoo has only just returned after his own spell out. Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martínez have also spent time in the infirmary.
That depleted squad has been stretched further by an underwhelming summer transfer window, leaving Carrick short of options during a demanding run of fixtures. The result has been a club unable to find a win in any of those matches, with the injury picture continuing to undermine any attempt to build momentum.
Al Nassr
Ronaldo shrugs off Ten Hag’s fresh remarks as feud carries on
Ronaldo has brushed off Ten Hag’s latest criticism, with the feud between the pair still unresolved.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear he has little interest in re-opening his dispute with Erik ten Hag. According to Morgan, the forward’s view is simple: the former Manchester United manager is not “worth talking about”.
Ten Hag’s latest comments arrived in a two-part interview with The Athletic last month, when he claimed Ronaldo “let the team down.” He later went further on Dutch television, appearing on Goedemorgen Eredivisie and saying the forward was finished by the time he left Juventus in 2021, aged 36. “For the last seven or eight years, he just hasn’t been able to deliver,” Ten Hag said, adding that it was Real Madrid’s “great gift” to allow a player to depart before the decline set in.
Ronaldo has not publicly answered those remarks, but Morgan said he asked the player directly. Speaking on his Football Uncensored YouTube channel, he said: “I did ask Cristiano about it and he said he didn’t think that Ten Hag was worth talking about.”
Morgan then offered his own opinion on the situation, arguing that Ronaldo could still have contributed plenty more at Manchester United. “I think Ronaldo could have given United another two, three years and scored a lot of goals for them,” he said. “It would have been an excellent, excellent comeback if he’d had the right manager with him. But he didn’t. He had a guy that disrespected him, treated him like s—, a bit like the Portuguese manager is trying to do now.
“These guys like to make a name for themselves out of Ronaldo.”
At 2026 stage of his career, Ronaldo is approaching the end of the road. He has already admitted that this is likely to be his final season in professional soccer, with his Al Nassr contract set to expire next summer.
He opted to continue with Portugal after the 2026 World Cup, when Lionel Messi chose to step away from Argentina for good, but matters have since unravelled again. Last month, a falling out with Jorge Jesus over what Ronaldo viewed as disrespect sparked the latest tension.
Ronaldo is now serving a one-month suspension from the national team, during a period with no international fixtures. He has also been fined a nominal amount, though there is an expectation that he will be recalled this month.
