Sunderland are back on track after several tough years, with the Black Cats eyeing up a return to the Premier League after an eight-year hiatus.
Although there’s certainly been critics during the last few years, the job that Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is certainly an impressive one.
Last time out, Sunderland beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 to keep themselves in 4th place of the Championship table; a position which, if offered at the start of the season, fans would’ve taken in a heartbeat.
Sunderland appointed Regis Le Bris in the summer after spending four months without a permanent manager in place, and that period was perhaps the most difficult of Louis-Dreyfus’ tenure.
But all is well that could possibly end very well this season. The Black Cats look nailed on for a top six finish and Le Bris boasts a squad full of valuable player assets, one or two of which Louis-Dreyfus might decide to cash in on in the summer.
Perhaps the two most valuable of those assets right now are Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham.
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Lee Hendrie thinks Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham are worth £40m each
Rigg and Bellingham have arguably been Sunderland’s two best players this season; if not then their best young players. Rigg at age 17 and Bellingham at age 19 have played a crucial role in the Black Cats’ midfield, racking up 62 Championship appearances between them (31 each).
Both have had big transfer interest this season as well. Rigg and Bellingham have been linked with Manchester United the most, and both have even had links to Real Madrid during the 2024/25 campaign.
Now speaking to Football League World, pundit and former player Lee Hendrie has suggested that both players combined could net the Black Cats £80million in future transfer fees, but hinting at the club needing Premier League football to command such fees for the pair.
Hendrie said: “The problem is obviously the establishment of where they actually can achieve playing. That’s the big thing. Until they’ve proven that they are capable of playing in the Premier League, and are worthy of playing Premier League football, that’s where the price-tag extends.
“Being in the Championship, which is one of the toughest leagues, it’s a completely different prospect. They’re still worth their weight in gold, for sure.”
Hendrie later added: “I’m sure that Sunderland will be wanting around that £40 million mark for each of them. It’s just, would they get that at this current time? That’s the big question.
“I think future-wise, that’s where the big fees come in for these sorts of players, but there is always the add-ons too. It’s a tricky one, but I’m sure that they will want big money for both Bellingham and Rigg, because they are pivotal in the way they play.”
Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg in the limelight after Premier League scouting mission
Both players have seen transfer interest in their services grow throughout the season. The likes of Crystal Palace have taken a look at Bellingham whilst Rigg has become more and more of a summer target for Manchester United, it seems.
Earlier in the year, though, it was reported that both Arsenal and United were scouting Rigg and Bellingham, and it looks like the two teams may be most keen on landing the young Sunderland duo come the summer.
For Sunderland, it’s certainly good news should they want to cash in as they know both Arsenal and United have money to spend. But whether either player can command £40million, as Hendrie suggests, without having had at least a season of Premier League football, remains to be seen, if not unlikely.
But both players could still command huge fees for a Championship club and if reinvested properly, Sunderland will stay on track.