Reason behind JJ Gabriel's decision to leave Man Utd revealed in damning indictment

JJ Gabriel reportedly wants to leave Manchester United because his family believe the club has fallen way behind their rivals and his development would be better served elsewhere.

Gabriel has caught the eye with his sparkling performances for United's academy sides. The 15-year-old generated plenty of interest with his appearances for Michael Carrick's first team in pre-season, but is yet to make his competitive debut for the club.

While he has been urged to be patient by United legend Ryan Giggs, Gabriel recently dropped a bombshell by asking to leave the club where he's been since the age of 11. He wants to be deregistered, so he is free to join a different club, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea all interested.

United have been surprised by Gabriel's change of heart, which came after he was not included in the squad for the recent 4-0 win over Sabah in the Champions League, or their 3-2 defeat by Brighton in the Carabao Cup. The club still hopes to keep the talented youngster, but as well as rivals, agents are also circling, hoping to represent the teenager, who turns 16 on October 6.

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The Daily Mail says the fact that United are 'far away' from Barca, Real, Bayern, Arsenal and Manchester City is part of the reasoning behind the decision to push for an exit. Gabriel's family want him to 'learn from the best' by playing for a better team.

United have not won the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013 and currently sit 12th in the table following the 1-1 draw against Fulham on Sunday. They have won just one of their five league games this season and have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Were he to stay in the UK, Gabriel is reportedly keen on Chelsea, even though he would have to wait until January to join the Blues after they were banned from registering new academy players for nine months in March. However, he has also held talks with Barcelona and Real Madrid and would be eligible to play in Spain thanks to his Irish EU passport.

He has asked United to rip up his current deal, which expires at the end of the season. They have refused to do so, but it currently seems very unlikely he will sign a scholarship deal when he turns 16 next month, potentially sparking a bitter dispute over his future.

Gabriel did feature for Carrick's first team in pre-season and the United manager has urged him to remain patient for opportunities. "I think he’s a young boy, JJ, and I think it’s important that we certainly don’t put anything out here," he said recently. "I think the exposure and the scrutiny and everything that, you got to be careful and be sensible and think of him as much as anything."