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Manchester United are persevering with to carefully monitor Sunderland starlet Chris Rigg after dispatching scouts to look at the 17-year-old in motion within the North East Derby in opposition to Middlesbrough.
Sunderland emerged as late winners in a 3-2 victory over former Crimson Satan Michael’s Carrick facet with Rigg beginning within the quantity ten place.
The teen has emerged as one of many Championship’s finest performers this season with the Black Cats at the moment fourth within the Championship, simply three factors off Sheffield United within the computerized promotion spot.
Solely three sides have scored extra occasions than Sunderland – a mirrored image of the sturdy attacking unit Rigg is a central determine inside.
The 17-year-old has scored 4 objectives and supplied one help in 26 league video games. Nonetheless, these statistics fail to seize how influential he’s in possession for Sunderland.
Rigg is a superb technician. Regardless of his diminutive stature, he’s a skilful dribbler with wonderful shut management and incisive passing.
A number of Premier League sides, together with United, have registered an curiosity within the Sunderland youth product, who has represented England at U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-18 ranges.
Rivals Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion – two sides with wonderful observe report of buying Championship expertise – are reported to have thought of bids for Rigg.
TalkSPORT describe the 17-year-old because the “finest participant to return out of the Championship since Jude Bellingham” – a participant United famously missed out on from Birmingham Metropolis. And the Crimson Devils seem prepared to make sure this error will not be repeated.
The outlet additional stories INEOS maintain an curiosity in Rigg as a “younger participant out there for an affordable value with future sell-on potential” amid a fraught monetary state of affairs at Previous Trafford.
Nonetheless, Rigg is unlikely to be bought at a reduced value ought to Sunderland achieve promotion on the finish of the season. And even when they don’t, the curiosity elsewhere in England’s prime division ensures the North East membership will be capable of command a substantial payment for his or her starlet.
Rigg is the good profile as an attacking midfielder in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, which deploys two attacking midfielders behind a centre-forward. These quantity tens are anticipated to thrive in tight areas whereas retaining the pace and talent to supply a menace in behind opposition defences.
The 17-year-old midfielder is tailor made for this function, even when his tender years would counsel he isn’t able to play on the Theatre of Desires. However as Bellingham proved, in case you are adequate, you’re sufficiently old.
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