Wayne Rooney warns Man Utd it would be ‘disappointing’ to lose ‘special talent’ JJ Gabriel to European giants

Having watched Gabriel play alongside his son, Kai, in the United youth setup, Rooney is acutely aware of the teenager’s quality. Speaking on the Stick To Football podcast on Disney+, the United legend expressed his dismay at the situation.

“I have seen JJ grow up, he has been in [my son] Kai’s team,” Rooney said. “Anyone close to it knew that was coming. In fairness to Manchester United they have done everything, absolutely everything, to keep him at the club.

“The club have treated him probably differently to the other players because he is such a special player. I know, I recognise that, because I was that player at Everton. I was getting that treatment at Everton.

“As a club, you need to do [it] to try to keep the better players. It’s disappointing because he is such a top player and a lovely kid. You never know whether it’s gone too far or whether there is a chance for him to stay.”