Man United trying to fix JJ Gabriel situation 'in way that will anger first-team stars’
Manchester United are at risk of angering some of their top first-team stars with their attempts to make a last-minute move to keep hold of young prodigy JJ Gabriel.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Red Devils are working hard to try and “fix” the issues that have arisen.
Gabriel’s Irish passport is set to allow him to leave the club and move elsewhere in the EU, with reports suggesting United only stand to earn around £300,000 in compensation if that scenario plays out.
However, Wyness is adamant that the club have now backed themselves into a corner in relation to the 16-year-old, and cannot risk breaking their back to facilitate his demands.
Barcelona recently distanced themselves from any possibility of a move for Gabriel, but Real Madrid are still firmly part of the race for his signature.
The situation has grown increasingly bleak for United, and Wyness now believes that it will be too hard for them to retrieve.
Man United at risk of ‘protecting’ JJ Gabriel too much
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 could cause issues if they pay the “huge price” of sanctioning a lucrative contract for Gabriel.
The Scottish businessman warned that some of the club’s senior stars would likely be miffed to see a 16-year-old walking around the training ground on a big-money deal.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained how there has been too much “water under the bridge” for United to backtrack and keep Gabriel.
“They're trying to fix it too late, and that's the issue. The price that they'd have to pay would be inflated if it was about money, which I don't think it necessarily is; then it would be a very high price which they could have fixed earlier,” he said.
“The other issue they've got is if they do pay a huge price and the kid gets on big wages, how is that going to go down in Carrington at the training ground? They will be angry.
“And as the young superstar, he'd be protected above many other players in the squad, and so he wouldn't really be seen as a squad player. It'd be very difficult on him as well.
“So I just think too much water has gone under the bridge now, and as I say, I think it's highly stacked in the favour of him being off to Real Madrid, and it seems that's what the father wanted as well.”
‘Serious doubts’ emerge over Lisandro Martinez
Former United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on Tuesday that his former club are “starting to have serious doubts” over centre-back Lisandro Martinez.
The Argentine’s performances have faced scrutiny of late, and the ex-recruitment man believes that his desire to defend “man-to-man” causes too many issues for him.
Brown is adamant that Martinez is “not good enough” for a Champions League side, and expects that he could be replaced by a new addition either in January or next summer.
Martinez also rocked the boat by taking aim at technical director Jason Wilcox after the defeat to Atletico Madrid, in a move that is unlikely to have gone down well with the club hierarchy.