Kai Rooney seemed to send a little message to JJ Gabriel after scoring four goals against Burnley.
Kai Rooney made headlines after scoring four goals in an impressive 6-0 win for Manchester United’s youth team against Burnley. Rooney, the 16-year-old son of Manchester United’s record scorer Wayne Rooney, has been doing really well in the club’s youth system, just like his dad who spent 13 years at the club.
He scored a quick hat-trick before adding a fourth goal, helping his team dominate the match. While everyone talked about his amazing goals, his goal celebration also caught people’s attention a few days later.
In a recent article for the Manchester Evening News, Steven Railston shared an update on Kai Rooney’s progress but also mentioned that Rooney used the same celebration as fellow Manchester United academy player JJ Gabriel. Railston hinted that this celebration might have been a subtle dig at Gabriel, who is trying to leave the club.
Rooney’s celebration involved an ‘arm across the face with gun finger’ pose, the same one Gabriel often used. Gabriel has been wanting to leave Manchester United after feeling the club broke promises made to him. Big European clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, and Bayern Munich are all interested in him.
However, United have so far refused to cancel Gabriel’s registration, leaving him stuck at the club for now. It seems this situation might only change when the European transfer window opens in January. When that happens, though, signing Gabriel might cost a lot—reports say the full package could reach €15 million, including a €1 million salary and a large signing bonus.
With all this uncertainty, Gabriel looks set to leave Manchester United without ever playing for the first team, aside from a brief appearance in a pre-season friendly. Meanwhile, Kai Rooney continues to impress and grow within the club.