Extent of Liverpool's scouting of Sunderland AFC star Chris Rigg becomes clearer - summer saga beckons | OneFootball

Chris Rigg is on the radar of numerous top clubs ahead of the summer window

Sunderland starlet Chris Rigg is on the radar of Premier League giants Liverpool ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, but the Reds face strong competition for his services from numerous other top-flight clubs, including Merseyside rivals Everton.

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 reportedly interested in making him theirs in the coming months.

An attacking midfielder by trade, he 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. Rigg 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.

Liverpool showing strong interest in Chris Rigg - numerous clubs are also interested

Numerous reports have emerged over this season about Rigg's potential destination this summer, and a Wearside exit feels inevitable, especially if Sunderland are unable to seal promotion back to the top-flight through the Championship play-offs.

The latest of those comes from iNews, who state that Liverpool are set to rival Everton for Rigg's signature in the transfer window, with the Reds having sent scouts to watch him extensively this season ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Toffees boss David Moyes is understood to be keen to drive down the average age of his team, but the same report claims that both Merseyside clubs are set to face stern competition for his signature from the likes of West Ham, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. CaughtOffside have recently reported that the Red Devils have placed him near the top of their list of transfer targets for this summer.

Newcastle United are also believed to hold a long-standing interest in the 17-year-old, but it remains to be seen if Sunderland would be happy to sell one of their best assets to their fierce Tyneside rivals.

A transfer tussle is set to commence for Chris Rigg this summer

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.

He has emerged as one of their key men in midfield this season under Le Bris, and has made 40 appearances in all competitions so far, with four goals and one assist to his name. Rigg has also been able to display his versatility, which will appeal to his long list of suitors, with impressive displays in central midfield, on both wings and even as a false-nine centre-forward.

Rigg has not only been linked with English clubs ahead of this summer, and he may well seek a move abroad to follow in the footsteps of numerous young players from these shores that have gone on to impress on the continent. Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig have all been linked with interest in his services, so it is clear just how rated he is across Europe.

Regardless of the reported interest, the decision to leave Sunderland will ultimately be on Rigg this summer, and he may well feel like he has unfinished business at his boyhood club, particularly if they are back in the Premier League for next season after eight long years away.