Sunderland player on the radar of Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen | OneFootball

At just 16-years-old, Sunderland's Chris Rigg is one of the hottest prospects in the English Football League right now.

Having made just over 20 appearances for the Black Cats, we have already seen him linked with moves to the likes of Manchester United and North East rivals, Newcastle United.

But, he is now attracting interest from across the pond, with the German duo of Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund reportedly interested in signing the midfielder, as per journalist Alan Nixon.

Dortmund and Leverkusen join Chris Rigg queue

According to The Athletic, last summer saw Rigg sign a two-year scholarship at The Stadium of Light, after impressing heavily in the youth team fixtures at the club.

As stated by Nixon via Patreon, the midfielder will be in the "shop window" this summer, as Sunderland look to cash in on their hot prospect.

Having already been subjected to interest from Premier League clubs, it is the turn of Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund to stake their claim.

With both clubs renowned for developing young talent and providing them with an opportunity, leaving England may seem the best chance Rigg has of securing regular game time.

The likes of Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Jamie Bynoe-Gittins have all moved to the German league and thrived, with Bellingham now considered one of the best players in the world. For a young man such as Rigg, seeing these success stories must entice him into considering a move to Germany.

A £3 million price tag saw Manchester United back off from signing him last year, and with a professional contract deal already in place for when he turns 17 in June, a new price is unclear.

Chris Rigg's career so far

It is rare for a player to make their debut in their early teens, but at just 15-years-old, Rigg has achieved that feat. As he helped his side turn around a 1-0 deficit in the closing minutes against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup Third Round.

At the time, manager Tony Mowbray gave him the highest praise a youngster could receive: "He's there because he's good enough".

Since then, he has had to bide his time in the youth teams, but has featured heavily in the second part of this season.

Scoring on his Championship debut against Southampton was another step in what seems to be a career destined for greatness.

The back end of the campaign had seen consistent starts for Rigg in a faltering Sunderland side, and he added his second of the campaign in a heavy defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers.

This summer will likely further his feature in the shop window, as he heads to Cyprus to captain England's U-17 side in the European Championships.

A good tournament for Rigg and his side could see that transfer fee exponentially rise, and it would be no surprise to see new clubs share an interest in the Hebburn-born midfielder.