Whether JJ Gabriel is leaving Manchester United is, for now, still up in the air.
His family want his contract ripped up amid interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid, while the top executives at United, including director of football Jason Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are all in discussions about how to win them back round.
Gabriel is a generational talent, that much is obvious from watching him, and if he goes it would be a brutal blow for the club.
But he is not the only player emerging at Carrington that fans should be getting excited about.
Daily Mail Sport has picked out three academy stars who, like Gabriel, are waiting for their shot at a first-team debut in the years to come…
JJ Gabriel (pictured) wants out of Manchester United. Although his departure would be a brutal blow, there’s several other talented teenagers at the club ready to fill the void
JIM THWAITES
Age: 18, Position: Midfielder
Seen as the best set-piece taker in all of academy football, Thwaites is so much more than just a corner and free-kick specialist.
The young midfielder, who has been taken under the wing of Bruno Fernandes in recent months since being elevated into first-team training sessions, is excellent as a deep-lying playmaker and has been a standout across the Under 18s and Under 21s in recent seasons.
Small in stature, many youth scouts have marvelled at what they see as a ‘Spanish’ player profile, a technical midfielder who isn’t dictating matches due to physicality, which is so often the case in the rough-and-tumble of English football.
Ruben Amorim was a big admirer and even name-checked Thwaites for his performances during United’s 2025 post-season tour of Asia.
Thwaites was just 15 when he was fast-tracked into the Under 18s and later that season made his first foray into the Under 21s.
He deals well with being pressed and has a wide range of passes in his arsenal, as recently proven with a delightful chipped assist to Gabriel for his hat-trick goal against FK Sabah in the UEFA Youth League.
Jim Thwaites is regarded as the best set-piece taker United’s academy – but there’s so much more to him than that
Thwaites (right) has been taken under the wing of Bruno Fernandes (left) in recent months since being elevated into first-team training sessions
It’s no surprise that he’s a midfielder Michael Carrick has taken a shine to. The fact Thwaites did not leave on loan this summer underlined what Daily Mail Sport has reported for months – that Thwaites’ development is one of the top priorities for United.
If Gabriel heads for pastures new, Thwaites is absolutely the next academy star in line to break through.
NOAH AJAYI
Age: 17, Position: Forward
Daily Mail Sport understands Ajayi will soon ink a professional contract to commit his future to Manchester United after extensive negotiations.
All of Europe’s elite have been scouting and calling round about Ajayi – not least Bayern Munich and Barcelona – and the spectre of Gabriel has allowed his German team-mate to flourish somewhat in the shadows.
The 17-year-old already looks to have the physical frame to cope with playing against players much older than him and there is a burst to his initial acceleration that makes him a real threat playing out wide on either side.
Ajayi was strongly considered as an option to join Gabriel on the first team’s pre-season tour this summer, only for injury to curtail that.
Talented young winger Noah Ajayi is set to sign a professional contract at Old Trafford
A growth spurt to take Ajayi to 6ft 2in has pleased United staff. He has the frame to cope with facing opponents much older than him
There is also hope, as well as some expectation, that by the end of the current campaign Ajayi will have landed a first-team debut, such is his ability and trajectory now he is back fit and firing – which he proved last weekend in an electric outing for the Under 18s against Wolves.
A growth spurt to take him to 6ft 2in has pleased United staff. If Ajayi hasn’t been on your radar, start keeping an eye on the Germany Under 19s international.
JAICE DORE
Age: 15, Position: Forward
A wildcard pick to finish, and a winger that some youth football experts believe is one of the most exciting prospects in years due to his freewheeling playing style.
Dore appears to play the game much like a young Jadon Sancho did while he was at Manchester City, exciting supporters and getting them out of their seats.
During the summer, the 15-year-old made his debut for Darren Fletcher’s Under 18s and Dore, who came through grassroots side Fletcher Moss, just like Marcus Rashford did once upon a time, is an explosive dribbler who has shown an ability to score off both feet.
Some youth football experts believe Jaice Dore, 15, is one of the most exciting prospects in years due to his freewheeling playing style
Dore has not been accelerated anywhere near as much as Gabriel, and both Thwaites and Ajayi are much closer to a first team debut as of today.
But Dore is standing above the rest in every match he plays these days. A spot in the Under 18s this season, with a view to playing for the Under 21s next season if his progression continues apace, makes him the teenager to follow the progress of moving forward.
