The positivity around Sunderland has begun to increase after a difficult campaign.
Sunderland fans were left very concerned when they were left without a permanent manager for four months, having finished 16th in the Championship.
But things seem to be looking up now, having appointed Regis Le Bris as their new head coach over a week ago.
There was immediate worry about his relegation with Lorient, but his development of young players and early success in France has won many supporters over.
Sunderland went onto release their hugely popular Hummel home kit, before Le Bris conducted a rather promising first interview at the club.
Chris Rigg set to sign his first professional contract with Sunderland
It now looks like supporters could be about to receive their best news yet though, with Chris Rigg set to stay at the Stadium of Light.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “Understand England U17 captain Chris Rigg has now decided to sign a three year deal with Sunderland until 2027.
“Premier League clubs wanted him but he’s set to stay, new deal + big financial commitment for Rigg to stay. Huge one for #SAFC.”
Rigg is halfway through his two-year scholarship deal, but could have left Wearside if he had refused to sign his first professional contract once turning 17 years old.
The ‘remarkable’ midfielder celebrated his birthday last month, but it was believed that he would wait for the appointment of a new manager before making his decision.
Rigg had unsurprisingly attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, with the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich eager to snap him up.
However, Sunderland have now been handed a massive boost, with the teenager set to stay at the club.
The 17-year-old can be the pivot to promotion
The Black Cats will be desperate to keep hold of a number of their prized assets this summer, but tying Rigg down to his first pro deal is arguably the most important of the lot.
The youngster spent the second half of the season as one of the club’s most important players, despite only being 16.
He has the potential to become one of the best players in the Premier League and will undeniably be playing for England in years to come.
Rigg can be key in pushing for promotion this season and will definitely bag Sunderland a huge fee when he does inevitably leave at some point in the future.
His decision to stay after Le Bris’ arrival should give fans a lot of promise about the French coach too, as Rigg was clearly impressed and was convinced by him to stay at the club after returning for pre-season in recent days.