Chris Rigg is already attracting transfer interest at Sunderland this season, with Real Madrid taking note.
Chris Rigg has been linked with Real Madrid and also Borussia Dortmund following his bright start to the 2024/25 season with Sunderland.
The 17-year-old has started the last three Championship games for Regis Le Bris’ side, impressing in all of them as Sunderland maintain a perfect start to the campaign.
It comes after a contested summer for Rigg at the Stadium of Light.
Rigg signed his first professional contract in the summer, penning a deal on Wearside until the summer of 2027.
But it wasn’t so simple; Rigg only turned 17 during the summer months and there were a number of clubs looking to sign Rigg from Sunderland, including Newcastle United, Bayern Munich, and many more.
Now though, the Sunderland owners have the security of having him on a pro deal. But that hasn’t stopped clubs from maintaining an interest in the midfielder.
Several more teams have now joined Real Madrid in the race to sign Rigg.
Liverpool and more join Real Madrid in Chris Rigg transfer race
An emerging report from GIVEMESPORT has revealed that Premier League trio Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City are all currently scouting Rigg.
The likes of City and Chelsea were mentioned alongside Rigg during the summer and so they’ve had the teenager on their radar for some time now.
Hoever, the same report claims that Rigg is ready to ‘bide his time’ at Sunderland and wait ‘until the right move crops up for him’.
Rigg has just 25 Championship appearances to his name for Sunderland, with 21 of those coming in the 2023/24 season.
What Chris Rigg may be thinking at Sunderland amid Real Madrid links
Real Madrid has once again become the fashionable place to be in football, and that may well be the dream ticket for Rigg one day.
But he also seems to believe that Sunderland is the best place for his development right now.
And given his strong start, in which fans have seen the strides in his development, it seems true that Sunderland is the right place for him to be right now.
He’s still only 17 and lacking first-team experience, so at least one season of first-team football at Sunderland seems like a good starting point for him.
But the club may be desperate to get to the Premier League this season so that they can up Rigg’s transfer fee.
With so many clubs interested, it could then become a bidding war, and a big payday for the Black Cats.