Exclusive: Pundit moots £100m Spurs hope for Sunderland's Chris Rigg amid £38m bid talk | OneFootball

Rigg is likely going to attract many suitors this summer, but Spurs have reportedly made a move already for the teenager

Sunderland's promotion hopes for the 2024-25 season are still alive, but if they do not secure a spot in the Premier League for the next campaign, then there could be plenty of big clubs flocking to the Stadium of Light for much of Regis Le Bris' young squad.

The Black Cats' transfer strategies, combined with a prolific academy setup, has seen some fantastic young talents be developed on Wearside, with one of those being Chris Rigg.

Some would say that the 17-year-old is the jewel in the crown at the Black Cats, having made his debut at the age of 15 in January 2023, becoming the second-youngest player in the club's history in the process. 61 appearances and seven goals later, Rigg is one of the most sought-after teenagers in world football, but he committed his future to Sunderland last summer by signing his first professional deal.

That only ties left-footed dynamo Rigg to Sunderland until 2027 though, and with the midfielder looking increasingly ready for the step into the Premier League, the vultures are already circling ahead of the summer in-case the Wearsiders remain in the Championship.

Tottenham, Chris Rigg reports emerge with staggering eight-figure fee

The closer we get to the summer, the more talk will emerge over Rigg's future, and a big claim has been made regarding Tottenham's interest in the midfielder.

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Spurs have already offered a figure in the region of £38 million ahead of the summer window for Rigg's services, and regardless of whether that has actually happened or not, The Northern Echo have reported that Ange Postecoglou's transfer team have been long-term admirers.

Another top flight club that have been reportedly keen on Rigg is West Ham United, with journalist Alan Nixon claiming over the weekend that the Hammers are ready to make their move for the England youth international this summer, albeit the figures are far less than what Spurs have reportedly tabled.

Nixon has reported that West Ham see Rigg as a £10 million talent right now, but Sunderland will want over £20 million for one of their prized assets - that is still a steep drop though on what it has been claimed Spurs are ready to sign him for.

David Prutton issues £100m Chris Rigg claim as Tottenham lurk

Whether Spurs - or any other club for that matter - can get a deal done for Rigg this summer remains to be seen, but there's no doubting that he could in the future be one of the top midfielders in the country.

And Sky Sports presenter David Prutton, who played in the Premier League for Southampton, believes that whilst he's not sure that Rigg's current ability is worth the reported £38 million bid, his potential and ceiling mean he could be a worthy eight-figure investment.

"Chris Rigg to Spurs for £38 million...that is a lot of money," Prutton said when exclusively speaking to Football League World.

"He's still such a young kid, 17 years old, bursting through at an even younger age than that, sometimes you forget how many games he's been around for given many young players are dropping off the production line and into the first-team - they've done such a good job up in Sunderland.

"Over the course of the season broadly he's been very good, I know Regis Le Bris in recent weeks has wanted those exacting standards he's set for himself for Chris to live up to once again, which I've got no doubt he'll get to. That's sometimes par for the course when you're looking at the development of a younger player.

"£38 million...is he worth it? God knows, sometimes those types of figures can be rather arbitrarily put together, but of course they've got form have Spurs of spending a lot of money on a young player. Archie Gray, who had a season at Leeds that took them all the way to the play-off final - will Chris get something similar? We will soon see.

"What you're paying for though is potential. You could put a hell of a lot money down on a player now for say around £40 million like we're talking for Chris, and then suddenly two to five years time he's worth £100 million - that's the speculation they're looking to turn into accumulation further down the line.

"Is he worth it? God knows, only time will tell, but Spurs being slightly transitional this season, Archie's got a lot of game-time which has been wonderful for him, but as a collective, Spurs haven't hit the heights they'd have been expecting to get to.

"Big-money moves, take Brennan Johnson for example, equals a lot of responsibility and expectation, and for a young kid who is 17, that could be a hell of a lot to deal with.