1
Canada boss Jesse Marsch has confirmed talks with Manchester United youngster Gabriele Biancheri about switching his international allegiance from Wales.
A report covered by The Peoples Person a week ago revealed that Biancheri was invited by Marsch to join Canada’s training camp ahead of their Canadian Shield semi-competitive friendlies against Ukraine and Ivory Coast in Toronto.
Biancheri won’t be available to Marsch for selection but it was felt the move could go a long way in convincing him to ditch Wales.
This of course came after Wales gaffer Craig Bellamy called up Biancheri into a training ahead of the side’s World Cup qualifiers vs. Liechtenstein and Belgium next month.
The United starlet has already represented Wales at every level from Under-16 to Under-19, and his impressive club performances have sparked an international tug of war between Canada and Wales.
In the 2024/25 season, Biancheri scored an impressive 21 goals and provided an additional six assists in 35 appearances across all competitions.
He has already trained with the United first team.
Cardiff-born Biancheri is eligible to represent Italy through his father, Canada through his mother, and Wales by birth.
Now, the Daily Mail reveal that Canada are “growing increasingly confident” of winning the race for Biancheri.
Marsch said about the 18-year-old, “He’s a technically gifted player. I have talked to him about how he fits in with us and how I think he benefits from the experience of being with us.”
“I think this will be good for Gabe to see overall what the experience is like and then to see how he fits in, because even he and his father asked, ‘Where do you see Gabe fitting in with your group?’”
“I said to look, the striker position is competitive with us, but he’s still young and I think he could establish himself as a flexible player in the way we play, a little bit like how Jonathan David plays.”
Being compared to a top-class striker like David is high praise for Biancheri, and he’ll certainly have to work hard to reach those lofty heights.
Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
