Man United’s plans for JJ Gabriel unveiled after young star scores hat-trick in UEFA Youth League debut
Fabrizio Romano has shared some exciting news about Manchester United’s young star, JJ Gabriel, after he scored a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut this week. At just 15 years old, Gabriel scored three goals in a 5-0 win as Manchester United’s Under-19 team crushed Sabah at the Progress With Unity Stadium.
With United already 2-0 up thanks to goals from Amir Ibragimov and Jacob Watson, Gabriel stepped up and netted three times, showing why he’s considered one of the most promising talents in world football. He’s been training regularly with the first team and playing with the Under-21s, where he’s already made an impact with goals and assists in his Premier League debut.
People have big hopes for Gabriel, who’s often compared to Arsenal’s Max Dowman. Romano, a well-known transfer expert, revealed that United’s staff are “in total shock” at how talented Gabriel is. On his YouTube channel, he said, “JJ Gabriel is probably the biggest young talent at Manchester United right now. He’s only 15, soon turning 16, which makes this a crucial time for his future. How United involves him in the first team in official games will be very important.”
Gabriel made history as the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Youth League, beating records set by Rayan Cherki and Karim Adeyemi. Manager Michael Carrick has praised him, saying Gabriel has “a really big talent” and is physically growing stronger with each step up.
There’s even talk that Gabriel might get a chance to play in the upcoming Carabao Cup game against Brighton. If he does, he would become United’s youngest ever player, breaking the record held by goalkeeper David Gaskell, who played at 16 years and 19 days.
Nicknamed ‘Kid Messi’ after a viral YouTube video, Gabriel has a long-term deal with Nike, but he can’t sign a professional contract with United yet because he’s too young. This also affects his training kit—since United recently signed a £20 million-a-year deal with Betway (a gambling company sponsoring their training shirts), and Premier League rules ban players under 18 from wearing shirts with gambling logos, Gabriel’s training shirt stays blank.
Gabriel will turn 17 on October 6, 2027, and it looks like he has a bright future ahead!