Nike has emerged victorious in a highly competitive sponsorship battle for Manchester United’s promising young talent, JJ Gabriel.
At just 14 years of age, Gabriel is currently one of the most talked-about prospects within the football club, having earned the nickname “Kid Messi” during his early years.
His remarkable performance, including a hat trick in the Floodlit Cup last October, has attracted the attention of numerous clubs across Europe.
Gabriel’s exceptional abilities have impressed many within the organization, leading to his promotion to the Under-18s team at such a young age, as coaches are astonished by his potential.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, Manchester United is cognizant of the significant interest in Gabriel from prominent European clubs, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Bayern Munich.
In response to this interest, the club has expedited his development, allowing him to travel and warm up with the Under-18s prior to their Youth Cup quarter-final victory against Arsenal last week.
The Mail also reported that “a queue of brands” are eager to work with the youngster as his Instagram followers have sky-rocketed lately.
“A flurry of major brands were jockeying to land Gabriel in the past few months before he put pen to paper with Nike last month on what is understood to be one of the most lucrative contracts handed out to a player of his age.”
“Nike representatives regularly watch Gabriel at matches and he has been on the radar of multiple brands since he penned his first deal with Nike as an Under 10 player.”
Manchester United expressed a strong interest in having Gabriel sign with their kit sponsor, Adidas; however, it was the American sportswear brand that ultimately prevailed in this matter.
A source familiar with the player’s situation remarked, “He is destined to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps, focusing solely on scoring.”
With several recent youth acquisitions, including Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven, making their first appearances in recent weeks, alongside United’s advancement to the semi-finals of the Youth Cup, it is undoubtedly an exhilarating period for the club at the academy level.