Chelsea are eyeing a move for Sunderland’s 15-year-old English whizkid Chris Rigg as part of revamping their Cobham academy.
According to football.london, Chelsea are keeping tabs on several high-profile youngsters with a view of snapping them up from rival academies. Sunderland’s 15-year-old English whizkid Chris Rigg is part of their list, and the Blues are expected to approach the player soon.
Chelsea have ramped up their efforts to strengthen the hold of their Cobham academy in English football. The west Londoners have produced some of the finest talents in recent years, with many academy graduates going on to star with many clubs.
There is a long list of players coming out of the system and making a mark, with a few like Tammy Abraham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, and Reece James standing out. Those are only some prominent names. But Chelsea’s academy graduates are spread across many clubs and countries, reflecting on the glowing success they have achieved over the years.
To make the Cobham academy a force within English football, Chelsea have embarked on a project named ‘Vision 2030’. They aim to have 15 per cent of their Premier League minutes for their academy stars, while 25 per cent of their first-team squad will come from Cobham. ‘
Academy director Neil Bath is leading the project, and things have already begun to accelerate. They plan on a raft of signings from rival academies, including Ethan Nwaneri from Arsenal and Mikey Moore from Tottenham.
The project was accelerated in the summer when new owner Todd Boehly took a personal interest in materialising a few signings. The Chelsea co-owner had a big part in bringing Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Hutchinson, and Cesare Casadei in that window.
Before January, Chelsea have already tied up a move for young Molde striker David Datro Fofana to replace the injured Armando Broja. Chelsea, however, will find it challenging to pursue Sunderland’s Chris Rigg, who is rated highly by his club and has the interest of several other Premier League sides.
Liverpool are also keen on signing Chris Rigg, but much will depend on the future of the 15-year-old English whizkid. Sunderland will hope to keep the youngster for the foreseeable future and develop him into a solid future star.
However, when clubs like Chelsea come knocking on the door, young or old players are always enamoured and will likely go with the idea of playing for the London giants. It may be a similar prospect in Chris Rigg’s case, as the Blues could prove too strong to be turned down.
For Chris Rigg, Sunderland indeed represent the best opportunity to play first-team football at an early stage. A long-term project and featuring for Chelsea could become attractive for the 15-year-old English whizkid, who is yet to sign professional terms with Sunderland.