Chris Rigg put pen to paper on his first professional contract at Sunderland last week.
The 17-year-old earned himself a regular place in Sunderland’s first team during the second half of last season and quickly became a target for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The likes of Bayern Munich, Man City and Liverpool were all interested in snapping Rigg up as the Black Cats awaited a decision on his future.
It was then reported that the midfielder was waiting until Sunderland appointed a new head coach before deciding whether to leave the club, but it was only days into pre-season training that he had made his mind up.
Rigg signed a three-year contract at the Stadium of Light, sending supporters into hysterics as he admitted he was ‘buzzing’ to stay on Wearside.
Many fans had predicted the teenager to leave the club after a disappointing 2023/24 campaign, but Kyril Louis-Dreyfus appeared to work his magic in tempting him to stick with him.
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Sunderland ‘broke the bank’ to keep Rigg
The Sunderland Echo have now explained how the chairman managed to convince Rigg to stay with the Black Cats.
The report claims that while Sunderland were not able to match the financial packages offered by Bayern, Inter and Manchester United, which were ‘lucrative and included the offer of paid-for accommodation’.
However, it is believed that Louis-Dreyfus ‘broke the bank’ to hand Rigg the best first professional deal the club have ever offered a player.
The midfielder has earned his hefty contract
While it is unclear how much the youngster will now be earning, he most likely deserves every penny of it.
Rigg is extremely young and inexperienced, but there is no doubt that he will be a key player for Sunderland next season and will miss out on very few fixtures.
His talent means Regis Le Bris could well build his team around him, while his importance could be reflected in his ability to win games and make a key contribution to the club’s chances of reaching the playoffs.
Sunderland won’t be able to hold onto Rigg for very long, but if he can help them reach the Premier League first then his eventual departure would be more accepted.