Sir Jim Ratcliffe could save millions as ‘next Neymar’ emerges at Manchester United

Sir Jim Ratcliffe could save millions as ‘next Neymar’ emerges at Manchester United

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and company have every reason to be thrilled about one of Manchester United’s newest attacking possibilities given the club’s long history of generating elite talent.

Since investing in Manchester United last year, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been on a quest to reduce expenses and save money, as everyone is aware.

The good news for the Ineos manager is that his team is known for turning out a lot of talented football players, some of whom still play regularly for the Red Devils under Ruben Amorim.

Even though players like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have made a name for themselves in United’s current squad, the upcoming generation of academy players is fighting for a spot.

And it turns out that United could have one of their most prodigious talents yet waiting in the wings in the form of JJ Gabriel

Despite being just 14-years old, Gabriel is already making waves at Carrington, where he has now been promoted to the club’s Under-18 team

The youngster has really caught the eye playing with peers above his age group this term, scoring 15 goals and providing a further six assists across 13 appearances.

Gabriel, whose full name is Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel, is adept in a number of forward roles and can play as a striker and a winger, per The Manchester Evening News

Comparisons to big names such as Neymar and Lionel Messi have already been made given Gabriel’s flair and technical ability. Nike even said he was ‘the heir to Cristiano Ronaldo’s throne’ in their bid to land a sponsorship deal with him, as revealed by The Mail.

Given his tender years, it will be some time before Gabriel is ready to play a role in Manchester United’s first-team. But the fact he has consistently stood out in higher age groups – including during pre-season where he was given the Most Valuable Player award following a tournament in Hong Kong after wowing at U16 level – should stand him in good stead

Ratcliffe has previously expressed a desire to discover the next big footballing superstar rather than paying over the odds for a household name who is already in their pomp.

“In a way also, I would rather sign the next Mbappe rather than spend a fortune trying to buy success. It’s not that clever is it buying Mbappe, anyone can figure that one out,” Ratcliffe told The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast last March

“What’s much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or the next [Jude] Bellingham or the next Roy Keane. The Class of 92 and Ronaldo was only 16 or 17 when he came. The solution is not to spend a lot of money on a couple of great players