Alejandro Garnacho shares a strange message for JJ Gabriel on social media
Alejandro Garnacho has shared a surprising reaction to the big news that Man United’s young star JJ Gabriel wants to leave the club, posting something unusual on social media.
As the 2026/27 season approaches, Gabriel was one of the most talked-about young players in the Premier League, even though he hasn’t yet played for United’s senior team. So, it shocked many when news broke that he’s pushing to leave the club soon. This got a reaction from Garnacho, who was once seen as a rising star at United just like Gabriel.
When Garnacho joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2020 at only 16, fans had high hopes for him. Two years later, after impressing in the 2022 FA Youth Cup final with two goals, he made his senior debut against Chelsea. During his time at United, Garnacho played 144 games, scoring 26 goals and making 22 assists.
Sadly, things didn’t end well for Garnacho at United. After falling out of favor with the club and fans, and a public disagreement with then-manager Ruben Amorim, he only featured briefly as a substitute in the 2025 Europa League final loss. He then moved to Chelsea in August 2025 for around £40 million plus a 10% sell-on fee.
Chelsea showed faith in him with a contract until 2032, but things didn’t go as planned. They loaned Garnacho to Aston Villa for the season, with an option to buy for about the same fee.
Now, it seems Gabriel might be heading down a similar path, taking a big risk by pushing to leave United just like Garnacho did. Garnacho himself seems aware of these similarities, as he shared a popular TikTok video showing reports about Gabriel’s recent actions, then asking “where have we seen this before?” The video included clips of Garnacho’s best moments at United and a shot of him playing against his old club after he joined Chelsea.
It’s not totally clear what Garnacho meant by sharing this, but many Man United fans see it as a friendly warning to Gabriel that leaving the club doesn’t always work out the way you hope.
One fan on X commented: “Am I the only one who thinks this Garnacho post isn’t a dig, but more like him admitting he made a mistake?” Another added, “I could be wrong, but I see this as Garnacho warning JJ not to end up like him. He definitely regrets it.” Someone else said, “You have to feel for him. As he gets older, he’ll probably regret wasting his chance. But it’s not too late for him yet.”
Despite Garnacho’s message, it still looks likely that Gabriel will leave United soon, with big clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich all interested in the 15-year-old’s talent.
A move to another Premier League club could happen, but Gabriel will have to wait until he turns 16 in October. Chelsea isn’t an option right now since they’re banned from signing academy players until December.
Interestingly, Gabriel’s mother is Greek Cypriot, which means he has dual nationality. Thanks to a rule loophole, European clubs can sign him before he turns 16, making a move abroad more likely.
It will be exciting to see what happens next with this talented young player!