Man United to offer 'pre-contract' to JJ Gabriel in new twist
Manchester United's only remaining option to keep JJ Gabriel may be to offer him a pre-contract agreement for a professional deal.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Red Devils need to make "quick moves" to have any chance of salvaging the situation.
This comes amid news of the 15-year-old prodigy pushing to leave Old Trafford, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich all chasing him.
Wyness believes that United must also change the "pathway" that is on offer to the young forward, given that he and his family are clearly unhappy with the current offering.
Gabriel is also eligible for an EU passport through both his parents, which could potentially enable him to move to a foreign club when he turns 16 on 6 October.
He cannot officially sign a professional contract until his 17th birthday, but Wyness believes that should not stop United from trying to get one agreed.
Man United must go one step ahead of rivals
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that United are at the stage where they must go one step ahead of their competitors if they want to keep hold of Gabriel.
The Scottish businessman has urged the Red Devils to put a professional contract in place for the starlet, in the hope that it can be agreed prematurely, before it comes into force when he turns 17.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness made it clear that United simply must be attempting that behind the scenes.
"What can United do? Well, they've got to try and resolve the situation quickly, which is the key thing, and all they can do is try and show him that there is a pathway," he said.
"The current pathway, they're obviously not happy with, and they've got to now offer some sort of pre-contract that he would get on his 17th birthday, when he can sign his first professional contract. They've got to dangle that in front of him.
"I'm sure all those things are going on behind the scenes. United have got the player right now, so they've got a chance to try and open up that discussion.
"But it's going to take some quick moves. And are you prepared to put a pre-contract on the table at a 15-year-old who may be going through growth spurts or all sorts of other issues?"
Man United to lose out on JJ Gabriel compensation
Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider last week that United could stand to earn around £150,000 in compensation if Gabriel moved to another English club.
However, Michael Carrick's side do not stand to receive any compensation if the youngster leaves for a club in Europe, which is becoming increasingly likely.
Borson believes that the situation is "embarrassing" for United, given that they are being "dictated" to by a 15-year-old.
He made it clear that he does not expect them to be able to rectify the situation, and feels that they are secretly resigned to losing the player.