The highly rated teenager requested to leave just four Premier League games into the season, asking for his registration to be cancelled after concerns over his pathway at Old Trafford.
United challenge the decision, and their bigger problem has been convincing Gabriel that remaining at the club is still the best route for his development. There has been a growing acceptance that they are facing a losing battle.
The timing around this story is now more significant because Gabriel has reached an important point in his progression, a key moment in his development: his 16th birthday.
Players cannot sign professional contracts until they are 17, while scholarship agreements can be signed from the age of 16. Gabriel could have signed a pre-agreement from his 16th birthday on October 6, making the events of the past few weeks particularly intriguing.
A number of major European clubs have been linked with an interest, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, but sources insist neither has made a formal move at this stage.
Yet there has been no sign of resolving his situation in Manchester and it has been reported that part of the fall-out was due to Gabriel’s representatives telling the club he needed to play at least 20 minutes against Sabah, Brighton and Bournemouth before discussions could begin over the next agreement.
That was a significant demand for a player who was still 15 - but Gabriel subsequently asked to have his registration cancelled.
United had been planning to use him in the Brighton match, although he ultimately did not feature as they suffered defeat.
The situation now leaves United with a delicate task of managing the situation, which is expected to see one of the most talked-about young talents in the country now leave.
There have been growing questions over who is guiding Gabriel at such an early stage of his career. And while United have seen little encouragement that he will stay, there is still no clear indication of where he will play next.
There has been a strong indication that Spain is his preferred destination, so developments over the coming weeks should begin to provide a clearer indication of how and when that move could happen.
Dean Jones has been a transfer news and football insider for Flashscore since 2025, as well as a journalist for leading UK newspapers and websites over the past 20 years, establishing himself as an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.
