Explained: Chris Rigg's contract and transfer situation at Sunderland AFC | OneFootball

Rigg is one of the brightest young prospects in English football right now

Sunderland's faith in young players is paying off with the club flying high in the Championship this season, and the key beneficiary of their trust in youth has been star prospect Chris Rigg, who looks destined to have a stellar career at the top level in the future.

Rigg is still only 17-years-old, yet plays beyond his years and has been one of the Black Cats' leading stars in recent months as Regis Le Bris' side set the early pace in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

The Hebburn-born attacking midfielder 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 under Tony Mowbray last year when he was just 15-years-old.

Rigg became the second-youngest player in the club's history when he made his debut in January 2023, and he emerged as a regular in the senior side last season, with 22 appearances and three goals in all competitions.

This term has seen his performances go up another level altogether, as Le Bris' trust in him has been repaid with key moments that have seen the 17-year-old earn plaudits throughout English football for his standout showings.

Rigg has been a regular starter in the second-tier since the start of this campaign, and bagged important goals against Middlesbrough and Leeds United while earning the Championship Young Player of the Month award for September, and his impressive performances have unsurprisingly won him some high-profile admirers. A goal in the 2-1 win over Luton Town on Wednesday evening will only encourage more of that.

Top clubs are interested in a move for Sunderland starlet Chris Rigg

Rigg's breakthrough last season was well-documented as he became one of the Black Cats' most important players in the second-half of the campaign, and the Sunderland Echo reported in February that his performances had earned interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.

He stayed at Sunderland beyond the summer, though, as HITC revealed last month that he had rejected respective offers from Manchester United and Newcastle United, while his improved form this season has reportedly seen him garner further attention from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.

The race for the 17-year-old's services is definitely set to heat up as January beckons, and HITC also recently claimed that Manchester United’s hierarchy are looking closely at a deal as Sunderland brace themselves for offers, with sources believing that a deal could be agreed in January which would then see him make the move to Old Trafford next summer.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are all believed to have spoken to Rigg's representatives, while the likes of Dortmund, Bayern, Leipzig, Real Madrid and Barcelona each still maintain an interest in his services.

Rigg's contract situation with Sunderland

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

Rigg was already one year into a two-year scholarship deal, but signed a three-year contract at the Stadium of Light in the summer, 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 will receive a sizeable fee if he does move on soon.

His commitment to a long-term deal has allowed Sunderland a lot more stability both on and off the pitch, and they will now surely hold the upper hand in any future transfer negotiations, as a result.

Upon penning his first deal, Rigg explained that he had been "dying to sign" for a whole year since his first breakthrough, and was looking forward to making "many more memories" at the club that has been with him every step of the way in his footballing journey so far.

It will clearly take a lot to prise him from Wearside anytime soon, but his situation at Sunderland is certainly one to keep a close eye on in the coming months.