How Chris Rigg's wages could rise if he left Sunderland for Man Utd this summer | OneFootball

Rigg will be in line for a big increase to his wages if he joins the Red Devils ahead of next season

Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg has been one of the Championship's leading young stars this season, and a battle for his signature is set to commence this summer with Premier League giants Manchester United believed to be interested in a move.

17-year-old Rigg plays well beyond his years and has been a key part of the Black Cats' promotion push so far this term. He looks destined to have a stellar career at the top level in the future, with numerous big clubs like United reportedly interested in making him theirs in the coming months.

An attacking midfielder by trade, Rigg joined Sunderland's academy set-up while he was still in primary school, and his rapid ascent to the senior side saw him begin to train with the first-team when he was just 15-years-old. He became the second-youngest player in the club's history when he made his senior debut in January 2023.

Regis Le Bris has made him one of his main men this season, amid the Black Cats' focus on young, emerging players, and the race for his services is definitely set to heat up as the transfer window beckons.

Manchester United have long been attributed with interest in the 17-year-old, and CaughtOffside have recently reported that the Red Devils have placed him near the top of their list of transfer targets for this summer.

Chris Rigg's current estimated weekly wage at Sunderland

Keeping Rigg was probably the Black Cats' biggest test throughout last summer, but they managed to do so by tying him down to the first professional contract of his career just weeks after he turned 17 in June.

A three-year deal was penned, and while it would be a surprise to see him fulfil the deal until 2027, it was a huge move for the club that made sure that they receive a sizeable fee if he does move on soon.

According to Capology's estimates, Rigg earns £1,500 each week with the Black Cats, which is a small figure in the context of his impact on their fortunes, but is an understandable wage due to his age and Sunderland's financial situation.

That weekly wage means the 17-year-old takes home around £78,000 each year at the Stadium of Light. His previous scholar contract saw him earn an estimated £1,000 per week, or £52,000 every year, so he did earn a slight increase when he penned that professional deal last summer, based on his 2023/24 performances.

Chris Rigg's potential wage hike if he joins Manchester United this summer

Manchester United's 2024/25 campaign has been one of their worst in recent memory, with Portuguese boss Ruben Amorim unable to turn their poor form around following his November appointment, after Erik ten Hag had been sacked the month previous.

United are in need of a huge overhaul of their squad, and Amorim is likely to focus on bringing in younger players with high potential this summer, rather than experienced players that are coming to the end of their careers and will demand sizeable wages to join. Rigg fits the bill of the kind of player they should target, so it comes as no surprise to see their name in the mix for his signature.

In terms of a potential weekly wage that the 17-year-old could earn at Old Trafford, an increase on his current earnings would obviously be in order, considering United's estimated £3,306,500 spend on player wages each week and their status as one of the biggest clubs in the world.

It is tough to pinpoint exactly how much Rigg would be in line to earn if he moved to the Red Devils, but based on the current earnings of fellow English midfield prodigy Kobbie Mainoo, who is estimated to be on around £25,000 per week, it is fair to say that a potential figure could be somewhere close to that.

Other United youth prospects like Toby Collyer, Ayden Heaven and Harry Amass all earn around an estimated £5,000 each week, but while they are a similar age to Rigg, they are well behind him in terms of first-team experience and demand for his signature, so he would undoubtedly demand a higher wage than anything along those lines.

It is clearly likely that the 13-time Premier League champions will have to beat off some seriously strong competition to sign Rigg this summer, and so with that in mind, their potential wage offer could well rise above what they would initially want to agree on.

It is certainly not out of the question that the 17-year-old may earn upwards of £30,000 per week if he is to make the move to Old Trafford, as a result, especially with United's recent history of handing out bumper contracts to guarantee signing their main targets.