Sunderland: Significant Chris Rigg transfer update on Newcastle, Man Utd and Liverpool target | OneFootball

No club has yet made an acceptable offer to take Newcastle United, Man United, and Liverpool target Chris Rigg from Sunderland this summer.

According to Alan Nixon, the teenager will need to be bought out by a prospective new club if he is to leave the Black Cats.

Rigg is set to turn 17 later this month, which will mean he will be eligible to sign the first professional contract of his career.

It is understood that the Wearside outfit are keen to keep hold of the young midfielder after he broke into the first team squad last season.

The 16-year-old featured 21 times in the Championship, including earning eight starts, and even contributed two goals to their 16th-place finish (all stats from Fbref).

Chris Rigg transfer latest

Rigg is attracting interest from a number of top clubs across England and Europe ahead of his 17th birthday.

While he is free to sign for any club of his choice, a compensation fee will still need to be agreed with Sunderland.

However, as his birthday looms, it is believed that no fee is close to being agreed.

If no fee can be agreed then an independent tribunal will determine the size of any compensation to the Championship side.

Rigg has been linked with bitter rivals Newcastle United, as well as the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.

However, it has been reported that he will not make a decision over his future until the head coach situation at Sunderland becomes clearer.

German giants Bayern Munich are also said to be monitoring the situation surrounding the youngster, but no movement is expected on any contract just yet.

Regular game time is believed to be a deciding factor for Rigg when considering his future at the Stadium of Light.

This could be determined by the new head coach, with no official announcement on Micheal Beale’s replacement forthcoming so far.

Sunderland’s head coach search

Will Still was linked with the vacancy at Sunderland, but has instead opted to take over at French side Lens.

Bayern coach Rene Maric has also been mentioned as a potential candidate, but the Bundesliga outfit are aiming to keep hold of the 31-year-old by making him part of Vincent Kompany’s backroom staff.

Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl has received interest from Sunderland, but he signed a new deal to remain with the Owls for another campaign.

QPR’s Martí Cifuentes is the latest name to emerge as a contender, but it is understood that a compensation fee to the London club could be a stumbling block to an agreement.

Chris Rigg should be prioritising game time above everything else

A move to a club like Bayern or Man City sounds exciting, but a pathway to regular first team football will be difficult to come by.

The youngster is already playing for Sunderland, and should not take that for granted at such an early stage of his career.

The new head coach that the Black Cats appoint will surely be looking to utilise him as part of the first team squad next season.

Young players are such a core part of the Championship side’s philosophy that there shouldn’t be any concern over game time at the Stadium of Light next year, so staying makes the most sense for the time being.