Barcelona sporting director Deco has played down suggestions that the Catalan club are interested in Manchester United youngster JJ Gabriel.
The 15-year-old has reportedly asked to leave Old Trafford and was recently spotted in Barcelona after holding talks with Real Madrid. His visit had raised the possibility of a battle between the two Spanish giants for the highly-rated teenager.
Deco, though, has insisted Barcelona are not currently involved in the situation.
Speaking at a football conference in Portugal on Thursday, he said as quoted by The Daily Mail: “There’s nothing to say about this boy. It’s normal we always have players linked with us. There’s a huge market for that, even when they are young.”
The Barcelona chief also said the club did not want to involve itself in the situation surrounding JJ Gabriel while the winger’s future remains unresolved.
“We are not interested in any player in his situation,” Deco added. “I’m not sure what’s happening, and if he’s still a Manchester United player. We are not involved in that.”
Deco shuts down Barcelona JJ Gabriel links
JJ Gabriel is regarded as one of the biggest prospects in United’s academy and has attracted significant attention despite being only 15. His situation has already led to speculation over a possible move to Spain, with Real Madrid believed to have held talks with his camp.
Deco says Barcelona will not make any move without first understanding the circumstances surrounding the player.
“First of all, we need to understand how the situation is before we try to do something,” he said. “To speak about young, teenage players, it is not our business.”
Gabriel’s future remains unresolved, but Deco’s comments suggest Barcelona are keeping their distance for the time being.
