Giggs cites Dowman's 15-year-old debut as model for Gabriel

Ryan Giggs has told JJ Gabriel to pause his move from Manchester United and follow the development timeline of Max Dowman at Arsenal. Giggs, speaking with Rio Ferdinand, argued that the 16-year-old forward should prioritize long-term growth over immediate first-team minutes.

Gabriel informed United of his wish to depart Old Trafford in September and has not trained with the squad since. The forward reached a verbal agreement with Real Madrid after his representatives sought more playing time, including appearances in a Champions League match against Sabah FK and a Carabao Cup game against Brighton in September.

Giggs compared Gabriel's situation to his own early career. The 52-year-old began his professional journey in United's academy but did not receive his first-team debut until he was 17 years old under Sir Alex Ferguson. He noted that he won 34 trophies during a 24-year tenure with the club, a record for English football.

“So far in his career everything is going fine, why would you disrupt that? You’re on the right track,” Giggs said. He emphasized that first-team football differs drastically from youth competitions or pre-season friendlies. “You have to do it for 40, 50 games a season. You’re going to get injuries, loss of form, bad results, so you have to be patient.”

Giggs pointed to Dowman, who received his Arsenal debut at 15 years and 235 days old in August 2025, as an example of a player on the right trajectory. Although Dowman is not currently playing for Arsenal, Giggs believes the young midfielder is progressing correctly under Mikel Arteta.

“Max Dowman is unbelievable but he’s not playing for Arsenal at the moment. I’m sure he’ll bide his time, I’m sure he’s getting impatient, but he’s not kicking off,” Giggs said. He suggested Dowman understands he could become a primary player for Arsenal within a couple of years.

Gabriel turned 16 last month and has attracted interest from multiple European clubs. His current agreement with Real Madrid remains verbal, with no official transfer completed as of this week.