Liverpool and Manchester United are both among the clutch of suitors for one of the brightest young prospects in English football, although the Old Trafford outfit currently seem to have the edge.
The Anfield giants have made a happy habit of snapping up outstanding teenage talents from across Britain in recent years, with Harvey Elliott, Ben Doak and Rio Ngumoha among that glittering list.
However, their arch-rivals from down the M62 are no slouches in that regard either, having completed a double raid on Arsenal in recent months for Chido Obi-Martin and latterly Ayden Heaven.
Man United stealing a march in chase for Chris Rigg
Man United now appear to be in pole position to land yet another teenage prospect, with CaughtOffside reporting that Old Trafford chiefs have already been working on trying to snap up in-demand Sunderland prodigy Chris Rigg, with Ruben Amorim giving the thumbs-up for a deal to go ahead.
The Red Devils view the 17-year-old as a ‘must-have’ talent, but they’re far from alone in tracking the player, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Brighton also keen admirers.
Whilst the Black Cats were able to hold onto the £25m-valued midfielder in the face of transfer interest in January, they could find it rather more difficult to retain him in the summer, especially if they miss out on promotion from the Championship.
Liverpool surely won’t want to miss out on Rigg to Man United
Rigg doesn’t turn 18 until June but has already surpassed 60 senior appearances for Sunderland, becoming their youngest-ever goalscorer when he netted in a Carabao Cup tie last season just 51 days after his 16th birthday.
His maturity has been praised by teammates at the Stadium of Light, as well as his manager Regis Le Bris, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout has described him as a ‘roaming playmaker’ whose standout strengths includive passing, vision, technique, ball control, football IQ and work rate.
Even if the Black Cats don’t won promotion this year, the teenager already looks ready to make a splash in the Premier League, and the scale of high-end interest in him indicates just how high a ceiling he could have.
Liverpool would surely hate to miss out on a talent as prodigious as Rigg, especially to Man United, who despite their miserable Premier League season have shown that they’re still capable of attracting up-and-coming stars from fellow English clubs.
If the Reds truly want to win the race for the Sunderland gem, they may need to move quicky to avoid their arch-rivals gaining an unassailable advantage in their pursuit of him.
