Serie A Giants Join Manchester United, Liverpool in Race for Sunderland’s £35M Talent

Sunderland face a titanic task this summer, not only having to strengthen their squad, but also having to keep key players in their team.

After achieving promotion to the Premier League, it was logical that many clubs would look to take players away from the Stadium of Light.

Such is the case of Jobe Bellingham, who at just 19 years old left Sunderland to sign for Borussia Dortmund for €33 million, thus following in the footsteps of his older brother, Jude.

But in addition, multiple clubs have shown interest in other players from the Lads, such as Dennis Cirkin (23) or Chris Rigg (18). Regarding the latter, we have updates.

Lazio join Man United and Liverpool in race to sign Sunderland’s Chris Rigg

According to reports from Il Messaggero (h/t La Lazio Siamo Noi), Serie A side Lazio have joined the race to sign Sunderland talent Chris Rigg.

The aforementioned outlet explains that the Italian club are closely monitoring Rigg’s progress, though they note that they will face stiff competition from the Premier League for his signing.

Recently, TEAMTalk reported that Rigg has attracted attention from up to seven clubs in England’s top flight, most notably Manchester United and Liverpool.

Other teams that have shown interest in the young Sunderland midfielder include Arsenal, West Ham, Everton, Brighton, and Crystal Palace.

Rigg is under contract until 30 June 2027 with the Black Cats, and the team managed by Regis Le Bris are said to have valued their pupil at £35 million, as reported by the Sunderland Echo.

That figure, more than reflecting a desire to earn that money, represents Sunderland’s intention to ward off interested clubs and keep Rigg at the team. We’ll see if they succeed.

At the moment, there is no better place for Rigg than Sunderland. Not only would he play in the Premier League next season, but he would do so as an undisputed starter, which wouldn't halt his progress.

During the 2024-25 season, Rigg played 42 league matches, scored 4 goals, and provided 1 assist with Sunderland. Additionally, the young footballer has been a youth international for England, representing the U15, U16, U17, U18, and currently the U19 teams.

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