Club chief speaks out to address speculation he’s tapping up ‘absolutely outrageous’ Man Utd star

Barcelona chief Deco has sought to squash the speculation that his club are in pursuit of JJ Gabriel.

The Manchester United wantaway is being targeted by a host of European giants, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona rebuff claims they’re pursuing JJ Gabriel

(Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Reports from numerous outlets last week claimed that Gabriel had flown to Catalonia to hold direct talks with Barcelona over a potential move.

Since then, the links have only intensified, with it being claimed that the Blaugrana have guaranteed Gabriel a fast-tracked path into the first team if he chooses them over Madrid.

However, Deco has poured cold water on the rumours, saying (via Ben Jacobs): “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 [players] are young.

“We are not interested in any player in his situation. I am 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. And to speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”

Gabriel: The state of play

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Whether it’s to Barcelona or another side, Gabriel is now essentially nailed on to leave United in the coming weeks.

He bypassed the opportunity to make his debut during last week’s Carabao Cup opener after refusing to train in the days leading up to the tie.

The 15-year-old had set his sights on featuring in the Champions League a week prior, when 19-year-old duo Harry Amass and Shea Lacey were brought off the bench to see out the win over Sabah.

While Gabriel is undoubtedly an exceptional talent – one whom Micah Richards hailed as ‘absolutely outrageous’ – you can understand United having reservations about throwing such a young player into senior action before he’s fully developed.

Alas, if that means parting ways much sooner than United had envisaged, so be it.

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