Man Utd losing JJ Gabriel ‘ego’ battle as 16-year-old wonderkid heads for the exits but Premier League title winner insists Red Devils still boast global ‘appeal’

Gabriel, who figured for United in a pre-season friendly date with Atletico Madrid at 15 years of age, is said to have grown tired of waiting on a competitive debut at Old Trafford. He was prevented from making his breakthrough last season by Premier League regulations.

A senior bow in 2026-27 had been mooted, potentially in a domestic cup competition, but a push for the exits is now being made. The youngster has already spent time on the books of Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham.

The odd question has been asked of how he is being managed and advised by former Republic of Ireland international father Joe O'Cearuill - with outside interference clearly influencing the career path down which the hottest of prospects is heading.

United had hoped to convince Gabriel and his family that the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ remains the best place in which to flourish - with the Red Devils’ fabled conveyor belt of talent having previously produced the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the 13-time Premier League champions were also able to lure the best young talent from around the world onto their books - including emerging superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Are United still a big draw or does the Gabriel saga hint at the Red Devils losing some of their mystique? When that question was put to Parker, the Premier League title winner - who was speaking in association with FreeBets - told GOAL: “I believe that appeal is always there because I always think if you're going to go and achieve something, you're going to win something and go to Manchester United because you know when you do it, you know it's massive and everyone in the world knows it, knows all about it, knows about the club, know what they're achieving and they know about you and there's no better place to go. They definitely haven't lost their appeal.

“At the moment, when people talk about United they talk about what's happening upstairs, which is embarrassing for the club. So that's what people see and it’s a problem, that side of it.

“Do people look at that before they sign? A good agent will, regardless of how much he's going to make from it. He will look at it for his client and say, ‘I don't think the club's in the best place, maybe look at someone else’.

“That player might be desperate just to have it on his CV that he played there. I think [Matheus] Cunha was down that road, the way he was, he couldn't get there quick enough and that's why you'll be loved because of that and when he plays, you can see it in him. Sometimes it's wrong what he does, but you understand where he is. But you put him in a main United side that's competing, you'd have him there all day long because you know what you're going to get from him and that's what United is about.

“It's a level of consistency for every single game because every single game is different. You have to win the battle before you can win the war, especially away from home. That's what they've got to contend with and that's the way the club's always been, but the difference is that the club are nowhere near as prepared for those situations as they were a few years ago with Sir Alex. The club hasn't really been there.

“No one's going to say it anymore because I think everyone's got a little bit more sensible. If you get rid of Michael Carrick and someone comes out and says they need to get in a world-class manager, you've got to stop them and say they've had at least two already in [Jose] Mourinho and LvG [Louis van Gaal], and even they found the problems.

“It wasn’t always about the dressing room, it was what was happening above. So I think you have to get it right, get your initiative right and what the plan is, the line you're going to go down. They haven't done it.”

Parker went on to say of Gabriel: “The situation with the young lad is something that's happened. One of those one-off moments because we've got a dad with an ego. There's a load of dads out there now with massive egos all over the place. It's amazing how it's grown.

“It's amazing how they'll suddenly all come into it when there's money involved. It's amazing what difference that makes. I was quite lucky there was no money around at my time. Maybe my dad might have jumped in but my dad would only have jumped in if I'd have been a cricketer because all he was bothered about was the West Indies.

“He never got involved in football because it was my toy, my game, my life and he would never have gone and done it. And that's what a good dad would do - just ask you a question, ‘are you all right, son?’ And that's all it needs. Are you happy where you are? Yes, I am. And that's all it needed.

“The dad's jumped in and he's just seeing his own fame which he never got himself and he wants to grab it off of his son. So in other words, son, be careful!”

Gabriel has been linked with leading sides in England and across Europe, with a retracing of steps to Chelsea being mooted at one stage. Barcelona were also in the frame, but the latest reports suggest that Real Madrid are poised to win the race for the most sought-after of signatures.

United will be understandably disappointed to see a player of such promise move on - with Kai Rooney, the son of all-time leading goalscorer Wayne, another of those to be emerging through the ranks - but can only focus on assets that are fully committed to the collective cause.