Shea Lacey aims thinly-veiled dig at JJ Gabriel after bombshell exit demand

Manchester United fans were left surprised by a post from Shea Lacey after news of JJ Gabriel's desire to leave Manchester United emerged.

Gabriel, aged 15, is considered to be one of the top talents in world football and recently hit a historic hat-trick on his UEFA Youth League debut.

But less than a week on and reports claim the wonderkid wants to leave United and has asked the club to cancel his registration immediately.

United fans were hoping Gabriel would be included in the Carabao Cup squad to play Brighton at Old Trafford on Wednesday, potentially becoming the club's youngest ever player.

However, the situation has changed dramatically with the latest development.

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Man United wonderkid Shea Lacey goes viral for post after JJ Gabriel news

Lacey, another one of United's most exciting youngsters, appeared to react to the news in not so subtle fashion on X.

Lacey posted a picture of him arriving at Old Trafford with a loveheart emoji. The post racked up a whopping three million views and garnered reaction aplenty from United supporters.

One fan wrote: "Unbelievable dig, absolutely love it."

A second said: "This is what it's all about."

A third commented: "He ain’t slick, but we love that. Let’s work son."

A fourth added: "PR masterclass."

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Lacey, the younger brother of footballers Paddy and Luis, is a United fan despite being surrounding by a family of Liverpool supporters.

He made his Premier League debut in a defeat to Aston Villa last season and came off the bench for a first Champions League appearance against Sabah last week.

According to Samuel Luckhurst of The Sun, Gabriel's entourage were unhappy that Lacey and Amass were given their Champions League debuts in the 4-0 win over Sabah.

JJ Gabriel wants out at United. Image: Getty

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Instead, they hold the view that Gabriel, nicknamed 'Kid Messi' should have been selected ahead of them.

The omission is believed to be the final straw, with Gabriel now making the request to become a free agent.

Gabriel is not able to sign a scholarship agreement until he turns 16 in October, while his professional deal cannot come into effect until he turns 17.

For a youth player's registration to be cancelled during their registration period, the player and parent or carer must all agree.

In the event of that not happening, the Premier League can have the final say with a binding decision.

Barcelona are believed to have made efforts to try and bring Gabriel to the club, while closer to home Manchester City and Chelsea are two clubs monitoring his situation very closely.

Gabriel has been described as a "generational talent" by United legend Ryan Giggs and it has been reported that he was slated to be in the squad against Brighton prior to the bombshell.