Newcastle United are reportedly confident of beating fellow top-four hopefuls Chelsea and Liverpool to the signing of wonderkid Chris Rigg from arch-rivals Sunderland.
According to 90min, Newcastle United are reportedly leading the race to sign Sunderland star Chris Rigg, who is proving to be a hot property in the transfer market and is garnering interest from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.
Sunderland’s academy has previously produced renowned Premier League and England stars such as Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson, and now it looks like they may have found another nugget in the store in Rigg.
The 15-year-old is regarded as one of the most promising prospects in the UK in his age group but is unable to sign a professional deal at the Stadium of Light until he is 17, leaving the door open for top-flight clubs to pounce.
A potential star in the making, Rigg has captained England at the youth level with the Under-16s and played 15 times for Sunderland’s youth and reserve teams, scoring two goals and providing four assists in the process.
He has been involved primarily with the under-21s, but first-team manager Tony Mowbray has consistently given the midfielder opportunities to train with his squad.
While he was already very highly rated with a number of elite clubs, including Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United, and Chelsea, chasing after him, the youngster’s stock went even higher on Saturday as he was brought on in the second half to help the Black Cats seal their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a dramatic victory over Shrewsbury Town.
In doing so he went into history books as he became Sunderland’s youngest outfield player. Indeed, Sunderland are desperate to keep the teenage prospect, but they are afraid that the prospect of playing for a top-flight club, as well as the interest from higher up the food chain, could turn the youngster’s head.
Liverpool, for one, had previously snapped up one of the Black Cats’ brightest prospects to play at the Stadium of Light in skipper Jordan Henderson back in 2011. The Merseysiders have one of the best academies in the country for nurturing talent, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliot all shining examples of the great work that goes on behind the scenes in the talent development area as they look to lure Rigg to Kirkby.
As for interest from Chelsea, co-owner Todd Boehly and head coach Graham Potter plan to bring new young talents to the club in the January transfer window. They have already brought the likes of David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, and Benoit Badiashile to the club, all under the age of 22. It seems they plan to continue their youth recruitment drive by targeting Rigg.
While Chelsea and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Rigg, Newcastle are believed to be the best-placed team to sign the talented teenager given their connections to the midfielder.
Despite rising through the ranks at Wearside, Rigg and his family are understood to be Newcastle fans, and a potential move to the Tyneside could be too tempting to turn down. It would be a bit of a coup for the Magpies to get their hands on a promising young English talent as they continue to build for a bright future sustainably.
