Newcastle United’s decision to pursue 16-year-old Sunderland sensation Chris Rigg is reviewed by FLW.
Before the summer transfer window opens, Newcastle United is keeping an eye on Chris Rigg of Sunderland.
The Magpies have sent important scouts to observe the 16-year-old midfielder more closely, according to Chronicle Live. They have been interested in the player for a considerable amount of time.
Chris Rigg’s sensational Sunderland season
| Chris Rigg Sunderland stats 2023/24 – per Fbref.com | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stat | Per 90 | ||
| Non-penalty goals | 0.27 | ||
| Non-penalty expected goals (npxG) | 0.05 | ||
| Shots | 0.54 | ||
| Assists | 0.00 | ||
| Expected Assists (xAG) | 0.10 | ||
| npxG + xAG | 0.15 | ||
| Shot-creating actions | 3.51 | ||
With 13 league games for the Wearside team, Rigg has had a breakout season at the Stadium of Light.
In September, he scored his first league goal in his Championship debut, coming off the bench in a 5-0 victory over Southampton.
However, after turning 17 in June, the teenager will be free to sign a first professional contract with any club, thus he may leave Sunderland in the summer.
The Championship team would be entitled to a sum decided by a tribunal, although they would prefer that Rigg sign a full-time contract and stay at the Stadium of Light beyond this season. Newcastle is still a threat, though, and Rigg’s connections to the Magpies might work in their favour.
Would Sunderland to Newcastle be a good move for Chris Rigg?
Here, we seek the opinion of our FLW writers regarding the relative merits of moving to St. James’ Park versus remaining in Sunderland.
Declan Harte
Under Mike Dodds, Rigg is currently seeing playing time at Sunderland. If he stays, or even if a new face takes over in the dugout, he will undoubtedly be included in the plans of the new head coach for the upcoming campaign.
He would enter the Premier League if he moved up to Newcastle, but it’s unlikely that Eddie Howe’s team would give him the same amount of playing time.
He would undoubtedly reach his goal in the end, but for the time being, the senior level expertise he is gaining at this age might be more beneficial.
For his long-term growth, he should play for the Black Cats for another season, provided that he receives guarantees from the new coach that he will still be given opportunities in the starting lineup.
Since he will only be 17 the next season and is still not prepared for life in the Premier League, he shouldn’t be in a rush to move to the top division.
The move to the Premier League will happen sooner rather than later if he can keep improving his skills through increasing experience.The major warning, though, would be whether he is really certain that Newcastle is the best club for him to play for. This is because Sunderland is extremely unlikely to ever sell to their fierce rivals.
Ben Wignall
Since Sunderland has little control over Rigg’s destiny, this is a frightening scenario for them.
They would have preferred to sign Rigg to a pre-contract long ago, you would imagine, but since he has such a high ceiling, the young player will understandably keep his options open for the time being.
Though Rigg’s fair share of first-team playing time for Sunderland will undoubtedly aid the Black Cats in keeping him over his scholarship, as the summer of 2025 draws nearer, more and more concerns will begin to surface.
Concerns about Rigg’s family’s support of Newcastle will also exist, but with the amount of playing time he has had since the previous campaign, it wouldn’t be shocking if the 16-year-old starts to have a personal bond with the Black Cats.
Lewis Miley is one example of how Newcastle gives young players opportunities, but Rigg will stay where he is for the time being if he understands what’s best for him.
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