Barcelona aims to poach Manchester United's youth prospect for free, revealing his dream of following in his father's footsteps! Several top European clubs are eyeing him.

Barcelona is once again trying to recruit Manchester United youth player Gabriel (JJ Gabriel). This 15-year-old English prodigy plays above his age group for the Red Devils' U18 team, scoring 10 goals in 10 matches, making him the top scorer, including a hat-trick in last weekend’s 7-0 thrashing of Liverpool.

Barcelona has previously sought to bring in Gabriel, inviting him to visit La Masia and Camp Nou, and arranged a meeting and photo session with Jamal, whom Gabriel regards as a role model. Sources say Manchester United's sporting director Jason Wilcox played a crucial role in persuading Gabriel to extend his contract by two years.

It is reported that Wilcox expressed Manchester United's high regard for Gabriel and his family, especially his father. Although Gabriel is too young to play in the Premier League this season, United has promised him regular training opportunities with the first team.

Last week, before Gabriel’s hat-trick against Liverpool’s youth team, he participated in a first-team training session on Thursday. Head coach Ruben Amorim also held a private meeting with him and his agent team. This was because the Manchester United reserves had matches on Friday and Tuesday, limiting other young players’ availability for training.

Amorim commented: "Like everyone else, I know Gabriel is a very talented player, and everyone on social media is watching him. Manchester United’s U21 schedule is packed, resulting in fewer players for first-team training. We select gifted youngsters to join training, not just for tomorrow’s match but to let them experience what it means to be part of the first team—facing adult defenders, understanding the difficulty of first-team training, and feeling the pace of real matches. Using training sessions to show the kids what it takes to make the first team is important not only for Gabriel but for everyone."

Due to his age, Gabriel is not only ineligible for the Premier League but also below the threshold for this season’s Youth FA Cup. Manchester United has yet to list his profile on the official youth academy roster, even though he joined the Red Devils’ academy at age 10, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s son, Mini-Ro.

Since Gabriel is under 17 and has not signed a professional contract, currently on a lower-level scholarship deal, European clubs like Barcelona can sign him without paying a transfer fee. Hence, many top clubs are watching closely.

Manchester United signed 16-year-old English goalkeeper Charlie Hardy in October 2025 under a similar free transfer. Hardy’s contract with Derby County was a one-year scholarship deal, allowing him to join United’s academy without a fee.

Gabriel holds multiple nationalities including Irish, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cypriot, enabling him to transfer to European countries at age 16. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed: "I can tell you that not only Barcelona but several European giants are interested in Gabriel. This summer, Wilcox changed the course, beating other clubs to keep him at Manchester United, including a big Premier League club. United is now working hard to retain Gabriel and plans to promote him to the first team in the future."

However, keeping Gabriel long-term at Manchester United is expected to be challenging. Spanish media report that the talented player has supported Barcelona since childhood rather than United, with his childhood idol being Brazilian star Neymar. Gabriel’s father has high hopes, even changing their surname to give him a more prominent identity! His father, originally Joe O’Searle, was a former Irish international defender.

Therefore, Manchester United may need to promote Gabriel to the first team as early as 2026 to have a chance of keeping him. Gabriel will be eligible to play in the Premier League next season but can participate in this season’s FA Cup, which has more flexible age rules.

This week, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has also been linked with Barcelona. Rumors say the 31-year-old Portuguese "Iron Man" has a £57 million release clause only usable by clubs outside the Premier League.

Former Spanish international Mendieta believes Bruno Fernandes is well-suited for Barcelona. "Look at Gündogan; he joined Barcelona in his thirties, so age shouldn’t be a concern," Mendieta said. "Bruno has the ability to succeed in La Liga; it mainly depends on him. He is United’s captain but has to play out of position, which affects his performance. I think he should move to La Liga, especially Barcelona."

Mendieta explained: "I believe players enjoy these challenges—different countries, different leagues, winning titles in various competitions. I’m sure Bruno has thought about this many times. Just as I want to see Vinicius play in the Premier League, I also hope Bruno plays in La Liga. Barcelona fans would definitely love him 100%, both for his talent and personality."