Inside Chris Rigg's decision to reject Inter, Bayern Munich and Man United - & what Kyril Louis-Dreyfus did

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus played a significant role in Chris Rigg’s decision to remain at Sunderland amid transfer interest from top-level European clubs.

Earlier this month, the 17-year-old midfielder put pen to paper on his first professional contract at the club, signing a three-year deal despite offers from some big hitters in England and abroad.

The Echo understands that Manchester United presented an attractive offer to Rigg, who also received approaches from Italian giants Inter Milan and Germany’s elite club Bayern Munich during the summer.

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, one source told The Echo that owner Louis-Dreyfus “broke the bank” to hand Rigg the best first proffesional deal Sunderland have ever offered to a player.

It is understood that Rigg’s reasons for remaining at Sunderland were in part financial but also due to his fondness for the club and its support. Rigg has been with Sunderland for most of his life and made his debut as a 15-year-old, which has created a bond with supporters.

Rigg also chose to remain at Sunderland due to the excellent work the club had already done with him and their general handling of his situation. The midfielder was exposed to senior football at a young age and has featured regularly for the first team and is expected to do so again next campaign.

Rigg and his representatives thought it prudent to remain at a club prioritising youth where he can play in the Championship regularly and extend his already growing reputation, rather than head to a top-level club and become lost in their under-21s system with senior opportunities severely limited.

For example, fellow homegrown midfielder Dan Neil has 149 senior appearances under his belt aged just 22 with Jobe featuring 45 times in the league last season despite starting the campaign as a 17-year-old prodigy.

In signing Rigg, Sunderland’s hierarchy were able to find the right balance between financial reward and a firm development plan with the player’s commitment to Wearside a huge vote of confidence in the club’s way of doing things despite last year’s disappointing 16th-placed Championship season.