European giants send scout to watch Sunderland draw vs Preston North End - report
Sunderland played out a 0-0 draw with Preston North End on Wednesday
German giants Borussia Dortmund sent a scout to watch Sunderland’s 0-0 draw with Championship rivals Preston North End on Wednesday evening, according to reports.
Regis Le Bris’ men maintained their place at the summit of the table with a hard-fought point at Deepdale, ensuring that their current unbeaten run was extended to seven matches. Understandably, the Black Cats’ impressive start to the new campaign has also led to a groundswell of speculated interest in a number of their most valuable assets, and while it is unclear as to who Dortmund’s representative was deployed to gather information on, it is worth noting that there have been links between the Bundesliga side and a couple of Sunderland players in recent times.
For one, teenage sensation Chris Rigg has been openly mentioned as a prospective target for Nuri Sahin’s side by various outlets, while Jobe Bellingham’s elder brother, Jude, kick-started his own career with a move to Dortmund back in 2020.
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And according to Sky Sports commentator Gary Weaver, the German outfit had a member of staff in the stands at Preston. Speaking during Wednesday’s match, he said: “There is a scout from Borussia Dortmund here tonight. We wonder whether he might be looking at Chris Rigg. Maybe he booked his seat before he knew Jobe Bellingham was suspended. Maybe he’s looking at [Preston full-back] Kaine Kesler-Hayden. But Borussia Dortmund have a representative here tonight - I’ll just name every single player until I get one right, eventually.”
The development comes in the wake of another midweek transfer report in which The Sun suggest that Premier League side Crystal Palace are keen on signing the aforementioned Rigg. It is claimed that the Eagles are plotting a £20 million swoop for the 17-year-old following his eye-catching start to the new season.
Palace are said to have watched Rigg on a number of occasions already this term, with sporting director Dougie Freedman convinced that the starlet is good enough to make the step up to the top flight.