Man Utd 'definitely' interested in Sunderland star as pundit makes major £70m double exit claim - round-up
A look at the latest Sunderland-related transfer news and speculation
As the January transfer window rapidly approaches, a number of Sunderland players continue to be touted for prospective exits from the Stadium of Light.
With that in mind, and with speculation swirling, we’ve taken a closer look at some of the transfer stories that you might have missed on Wearside over the past couple of days.
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Manchester United ‘definitely’ keen on Rigg
Arguably no player in Regis Le Bris’ squad has taken up more space in the gossip columns than Chris Rigg in recent weeks. The teenage sensation has been linked with a whole host of Premier League and continental giants, and continues to impress in the first team at the Stadium of Light.
It is no great secret that Manchester United are amongst the clubs monitoring his progress, but now former Red Devils chief scout Mick Brown has delivered an update on where their interest currently lies.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “He [Rigg] is definitely one they’re interested in. He fits the profile of a young player who they can help develop. They’ve had scouts watching him closely at Sunderland nearly every week this season. They will know how good he is and how far they think he can go in the game, and from what I’ve heard they’ve been very impressed.
“Man United have a very good relationship with Sunderland behind the scenes, too. There are a number of young players up and down the country that they’ve sent scouts to watch, but Rigg’s performances have been very, very impressive. I think they’ll keep an eye on his progress and then determine whether they think he’s ready for the step up, but all signs suggest he will be capable.”
Palmer makes £70m double exit claim
Elsewhere, Rigg has also been linked with Nottingham Forest in recent days, as has fellow teenage talent Tommy Watson. The pair are both said to be on the Premier League high-flyers’ radar, but pundit Carlton Palmer has suggested that it could take a massive combined fee to convince Sunderland to part company with the duo.
Speaking to Football League World, he said: "Sunderland are top of the league, they're going fantastically well this season at the moment. I can't believe that they will sell either one of these young stars unless the bank is broken for the pair of them.
"At this moment in time, they're in a great position. If they can add to the squad and kick on, they could be looking at the possibility of automatic promotion, and they could be playing in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest themselves.
"Chris Rigg is seemingly loving his football at Sunderland and so is Tommy Watson, who is in his breakthrough season at the moment. Brighton and Palace have been looking at Watson on the wing because they're looking at bringing in a wide player, but these guys are destined to be stars of the future. Rigg is the outstanding prospect in the Championship. I think he could comfortably play in the Premier League, that is for sure. But at this moment in time, Sunderland are flying high.
"They sit top on 31 points going into the international break, and they can recoup and go again. Unless somebody comes along and breaks the bank in the region of at least £30-35 million for each of those players, for them to even consider offers in January, you're looking at £70 million for the pair. I don't think anything is going to happen, but the value of these youngsters is only going to go up the more they keep performing the way they are."