Nottingham Forest eyeing up potential double transfer deal for Sunderland AFC pair | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest are eyeing deals for Sunderland pair Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson

Nottingham Forest are eyeing up potential deals to sign Sunderland AFC duo Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson, according to recent reports.

Alan Nixon has claimed via his Patreon that the Tricky Trees have joined the growing hunt for 17-year-old Rigg, who has been in outstanding form for the Black Cats this season, while they have been interested in Watson for a number of years.

18-year-old Watson made his first Championship start for Sunderland on Wednesday night when they travelled to Preston North End, and Nixon has reported that Forest knew he was in line for his debut.

Both Rigg and Watson are seen as stars of the future at the Stadium of Light, and Regis Le Bris will be desperate to keep the pair at the club going forward.

Nottingham Forest interested in Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson

It's fair to say that Forest aren't the only side interested in Rigg, who is currently seen as one of the hottest properties in English football, perhaps even Europe.

The likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Brighton, Wolves, Crystal Palace and even European giants such as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund have been attributed with an interest in signing Rigg over the last couple of months, so Nuno Espírito Santo is set to face an almighty battle to bring him to the City Ground.

Meanwhile, Brighton and Crystal Palace have also shown an interest in wing wizard Watson, so it's clear that these are two highly-sought after talents, and Sunderland would be able to demand a significant fee to part ways with the pair.

With Forest being long-term admirers of Watson, they would have taken a keen interest in how he performed against Preston on Wednesday night in his first Championship start, but as Nixon alluded to, he was played on the wrong wing, so he wasn't able to perform to his full potential, which would have frustrated interested clubs.

Watson usually plays on the left, but he was played on the right at Deepdale as his side were held to a 0-0 draw.

The 18-year-old was subject to transfer interest from Brighton in the summer and Sunderland turned down two bids worth over £2million on deadline day, which means that Forest can be expected to have to pay a substantial fee for the youngster should they pursue a deal.

Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson look like they could be stars of the future for Sunderland

Rigg has made an excellent start to life at Sunderland this season and has started all but two of their Championship fixtures this season, scoring three times.

Given his age and potential, it's no surprise that he's attracting interest from Premier League clubs, and Sunderland face a real battle on their hands to keep him, particularly if they don't win promotion this season.

Meanwhile, Watson, who is a year older, hasn't quite made the same breakthrough at first-team level, but he's still seen as a player who could go right to the top.

The winger actually made his first-team debut back during the 2022/23 season, but he played just one game for the first-team last season, before returning to the fold when Le Bris took over in the summer.

He's played six games for the first-team this season, but it's been at U21 level that he's impressed, scoring five goals and registering four assists in just five Premier League 2 appearances so far this year.