West Ham readying £10m summer swoop for Sunderland star Chris Rigg | OneFootball

This Black Cats midfielder is attracting Premier League interest.

West Ham United are readying a move to sign Sunderland starlet Chris Rigg this summer if Regis Le Bris' side fail in their quest for Premier League promotion.

According to Alan Nixon reporting via Patreon on Sunday, the Hammers are hopeful of securing Rigg’s signature, with the midfielder understood to be keen to play Premier League football.

With the Black Cats preparing for a play-off campaign in the Championship, it’s possible Rigg could achieve that with his boyhood club as early as next term. However, if Sunderland fail to get promoted, it looks likely that their 17-year-old star could be heading for the exit at the Stadium of Light.

But at present, it is understood the East London outfit do not agree with Sunderland’s £20million valuation of their academy graduate.

West Ham want Sunderland's Chris Rigg for £10million

It is unsurprising that Rigg is keen on a Premier League move considering his international ambitions.

He has already become a key part of the England under-19s squad, but found himself left out of the starting XI last week, with Newcastle’s Lewis Miley and Fulham’s Joshua King both preferred to the Sunderland man.

With that in mind, it seems as though a top flight switch is inevitable for Rigg at some point in the near future, as is commonly seen with some of the EFL’s brightest young talents.

However, West Ham may seemingly have to reach a compromise if they are to get a deal over the line in the summer. Despite Sunderland valuing their young star at £20million, the Hammers are believed to see him as a player who would fall into the £10million category instead.

Given the amount of interest that is sure to come towards a talent as promising as Rigg, West Ham will surely have to at least get closer to the Black Cats’ valuation, or they risk losing out on the midfielder to a club who is happy to table an offer that meets the asking price straight away.

It’s no surprise to see Rigg linked with a Premier League move

Despite his tender age, Rigg has already outlined himself as one of the Championship’s most promising talents.

Sunderland have excelled under Regis Le Bris this season and, although they have the youngest squad in the entire division, Rigg is arguably the jewel in their crown.

The midfielder has notched four goals and one assist from 34 Championship appearances this season and has started 29 games for the Black Cats, something which is no easy feat for a player of his age.

Defying the expectations set by his age is something that Rigg has already done time and again in the early stages of his career. Ever since his senior debut as a 15-year-old back in January 2023, it’s been clear that Sunderland have a special talent on their hands.

That debut, against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, made Rigg the second-youngest player in Black Cats history. Later that year, he scored against Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Cup, becoming both the youngest scorer in Sunderland’s and the competition’s history.

Fast-forward to today, and Rigg has already become an important member of the Sunderland side. He has been a regular feature alongside Jobe Bellingham and captain, Dan Neil, in what has been an extremely impressive midfield this season.

Now, with just eight games of the season remaining, Le Bris’ side look set for a play-off berth, and with it, a chance to secure a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

If they can achieve that all-important promotion, it could hand them the edge on Rigg’s future and could give them the key to keeping their star at the Stadium of Light for many years to come.