Liverpool appear to have been handed a boost regarding one player who’s reportedly of interest at Anfield.
Although the Reds are far from the most lavish spenders on the transfer market, they do have a reputation for snapping up the best of burgeoning British talent, as evidenced by signing the likes of Harvey Elliott, Ben Doak and Rio Ngumoha when they were just 16 years of age.
A fresh report which has emerged on Saturday morning suggests that LFC have their eyes on yet another precocious gem from elsewhere in England.
Liverpool handed Chris Rigg transfer boost
According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool are joined by Arsenal and Manchester United in showing a strong interest in Sunderland playmaker Chris Rigg, and that trio will be buoyed by news coming out of Wearside.
Although the Black Cats have resisted previous approaches for the 17-year-old, they now seem increasingly resigned to losing him and would be prepared to let him go if their valuation of £25m is met.
Why are Liverpool reportedly interested in Rigg?
Rigg won’t turn 18 until the summer, but he’s already carved out a formidable reputation for himself in the northeast in his 53 senior appearances to date.
It’s already been just over two years since he made his first-team debut as a 15-year-old in an FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury, and in the meantime he’s earned plaudits not just in England but throughout Europe.
As noted by the Sunderland Echo, Spanish outlet AS has stated that the teenager is a ‘sensation’ who ‘unleashes madness’ in the Championship and has ‘half of Europe hot on his trail’ – glowing praise for a youngster who’s yet to make a top-flight appearance.
If Liverpool were to win the crowded transfer race for Rigg, it’d have strong echoes of their acquisition of Elliott, another wonderkid signing who joined from Fulham as a 16-year-old in 2019.
Both of them are primarily attacking midfielders who can also play as a winger or in central midfield, and both accrued plenty of senior experience in their teenage years.
Paying £25m+ for a 17-year-old with zero top-flight exposure would obviously represent a gamble, but if Jayden Danns’ new teammate at Sunderland were to deliver upon his enormous potential, such a fee could well be regarded as chickenfeed further down the line.
