A “great” Sunderland player is believed to be wanted by rivals Newcastle United ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a worrying new update from The Athletic.
Sunderland preparing for Championship playoff drama
It has been an excellent season for the Black Cats under Regis Le Bris, with a place in the Championship playoffs now mathematically certain, which is a great achievement from this young squad.
That’s despite Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Swansea City, which has to go down as one of the more disappointing results of the campaign, considering their opponents are in 12th place with little to play for.
Sunderland sit fourth in the Championship table and 12 points ahead of Bristol City below them, as well as four points adrift of third-place Sheffield United, who have lost their last three matches.
For that reason, it doesn’t look like the Black Cats’ position will change between now and the end of the season, meaning Le Bris’ side will face a playoff semi-final against whoever ends up finishing fifth.
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The Black Cats have turned their focus towards the summer transfer window.
A place in the Premier League next season would improve their chances of keeping hold of key men, and a big update has emerged regarding one such player.
“Great” Sunderland ace being eyed up by Newcastle
According to a report from The Athletic, Newcastle are eyeing highly-rated Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg this summer.
It is also stated that “West Ham scouts have monitored the development” of the £25m-rated teenage star, with the Magpies and Manchester United also “among his admirers”.
Seeing Rigg leave Sunderland for Newcastle doesn’t even bear thinking about for anyone of a Black Cats persuasion, given the rivalry between the two clubs.
Not only that, but the 17-year-old is also arguably the club’s most prized asset, with Jobe Bellingham waxing lyrical over him last month after he and his teammate won a Young Player of the Year award:
“Every day he trains like he wants to get better, with a great ambition and a great desire. So that’s the best thing for me really. The talent kind of comes secondary, which he definitely has, but him as a person, he’s always going to keep improving because of that hunger that he’s got, which for me is like, they’re the players you want to be playing with. So Riggy fully deserves the award, as I’ve said, and he’s just got to keep going because he’s on to big things.”
Realistically, Sunderland will be aware that they can’t keep hold of Rigg forever, with the midfielder likely to have lofty ambitions, potentially ending up at one of the biggest clubs in the country.
A switch to rivals Newcastle would be controversial, however, with Magpies supporters no doubt reminding Black Cats fans of it for many years to come, should a transfer materialise.