Man United's wantaway wonderkid JJ Gabriel has been training privately in Barcelona.
Gabriel, labelled 'kid Messi' and regarded as one of the brightest teen talents in football, rocked the club last month with his family's bombshell request for him to leave.
United have refused the 15-year-old's plea and hope to persuade him and his entourage – particularly his father Joe O'Cearuill – that his future lies at Old Trafford.
Gabriel was thought to be of interest to Barcelona and also held talks with Real Madrid. His existing deal is due to expire at the end of the season.
And the decision to choose Barcelona as the location for his individual training is a notable one, despite the Catalan side insisting they are not pursuing him.
Gabriel has been working with private coach Jack Hunter at the British School Stadium in Castelldefels, according to the Manchester Evening News.
JJ Gabriel, pictured during a previous Manchester United training session, has been working alone in Barcelona with a private coach
He's not been seen at Man United since scoring a hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut against Sabah in early December.
Gabriel, who turns 16 on October 6, will in a matter of days be able to appoint an agent and join a foreign club using his Irish passport.
But it seems Barcelona will not be his permanent home, with sporting director Deco saying: 'There's nothing to say about this boy. It's normal we always have players linked with us. There's a huge market for that, even when they are young.
'We are not interested in any player in his situation. I'm not sure what's happening, and if he's still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that.
'First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something. To speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.'
As Daily Mail Sport previously reported, United's decline since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson has been the driving force behind Gabriel's family seeking an exit. United have not won a Premier League title since 2013.
A source close to the family explained that United are 'far away' from the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, as well as domestic rivals Arsenal and Manchester City, and that they want him to 'learn from the best' to maximise his talents.
Super-agent Ali Barat is understood to be the family's preferred choice of representative, although other leading agents are also in the mix.
Gabriel shocked Man United last month with his family's request for him to leave the club
Gabriel has been at United since the age of 11, and is considered one of the hottest young prospects in European football.
The youngster was set to sign a first-year scholarship at United at the age of 16 – which would have automatically triggered a lucrative professional contract on his 17th birthday but now looks set to leave unless there is a sudden U-turn.
Head coach Michael Carrick insisted that Gabriel's wellbeing is the most important thing regardless of his future at the club.
'He's a young boy, JJ,' said Carrick. 'I think the exposure and the scrutiny and everything, you've got to be careful and be sensible and think of him as much as anything.
'So the situation will work itself out, whatever way it's going to work itself out. Making sure he's okay is the important thing.'
Source: Sport
