‘Kid Messi’ JJ Gabriel ‘offered a box at the new Old Trafford’ as Man Utd do all they can to prevent teenage wonderkid from being poached by a European rival

Gabriel is a 14-year-old striker in Man United's academy and generating significant interest due to his extraordinary talent, with some observers claiming he could be the most talented player to emerge from the academy. He has already amassed a large social media following and a sponsorship deal with Nike. Despite interest from other major European clubs, an eleventh-hour meeting with Manchester United leadership, including Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, resulted in Gabriel agreeing to remain with the club.

Man United face a challenge in retaining talented academy players like Gabriel, with rivals able to sign them at between the age of 14 and 16, despite this Gabriel has committed to United for at least two more years. But interest from major European clubs is expected to grow as he gets older, especially since he has an Irish passport. Recognising Gabriel's potential, United recently arranged for him to meet with Ruben Amorim and during their conversation, Amorim shared his coaching philosophy and highlighted the value of hard work, using an anecdote about Cristiano Ronaldo as an example. 

Gabriel initially gained prominence from an SV2 YouTube video titled 'Eight-year-old Kid Messi is unbelievable (better than the real Lionel Messi)'. This 19-minute video, showcasing his various skills, has received 4.8 million views and 110,000 likes. His career, however, truly accelerated after joining Man Utd's academy in 2021, where he formed a close friendship with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

Manchester United announced in March 2025 their intention to build a new 100,000-seat stadium adjacent to the existing Old Trafford. This follows years of speculation regarding the future of the iconic venue. The proposed stadium, provisionally dubbed "New Trafford Stadium" by architects Foster + Partners, would make it the UK's largest football ground, exceeding Wembley's 90,000 capacity, and the second-largest in Europe behind Barcelona's Camp Nou. The club hopes to occupy the new stadium by the 2030-31 season. The new stadium will become a cornerstone of a wider regeneration project for the Old Trafford area, which could potentially contribute an estimated £7.3 billion ($9.8bn) annually to the UK economy and create 92,000 jobs and 17,000 homes. Initial plans featured a distinctive canopy supported by three masts, envisioned as a globally recognizable landmark mirroring Manchester's industrial skyline. However, reports in late September 2025 indicate these designs might be altered, possibly removing the canopy, due to difficulties in acquiring land from a key adjacent property. The new stadium's construction is projected to cost around £2 billion (£2.7bn).