Chris Rigg reacts after confirmed Sunderland goodbye message
Sunderland star Chris Rigg has reacted on social media after a summer transfer exit was confirmed.
The 17-year-old has been on the radar of some of England’s biggest clubs since making his first-team debut for the Black Cats at just 15 years of age.
The talented attacking-midfielder seems destined for a move away from the Stadium of Light this summer, with Crystal Palace interested in signing Rigg, Mick Brown has told Football Insider exclusively.
However, the Eagles will face stiff competition for the England U19 international, with West Ham and Everton also interested in Rigg.
Tommy Watson heading to Brighton in confirmed £10m deal from Sunderland
Whilst Rigg’s future remains uncertain, teammate Watson has already agreed a deal to join Brighton in the summer for £10million [BBC Sport].
Brighton have been keen on signing Watson since January, but their pursuit of the winger mid-season failed due to Sunderland being unable to secure a replacement late in the winter transfer window.
Following the deal being agreed, the 18-year-old posted a photo of himself on Instagram, captioned: “Mackems, from the bottom of my heart, thank you! The support you’ve all shown me as I’ve come through the academy and broken into the first team has been amazing.
“Although the journeys not over yet, as the news of my move breaks I wanted to come on here and express a massive thank you to everyone along the way.
| 2024/25 Championship stats | Rigg | Watson |
| Appearances | 35 | 14 |
| Starts | 30 | 7 |
| Goals | 4 | 2 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 |
| Minutes | 2,587 | 542 |
“We’ve still got one massive push till the end of the season and goals to achieve. I’ll give my all to the team to make sure we do everything we can to reach them.
“See all of you that are travelling Saturday. 7 huge games to go, to get this club back to where it belongs.”
Rigg then responded to his teammate with a simple love-heart emoji.
Sunderland face promotion pressure with stars heading for summer moves
Football Insider Verdict
The Black Cats have fast become one of England’s most productive talent factories, in part thanks to manager Regis Le Bris’ lack of hesitation when it comes to using young players.
Watson will definitely be moving on this summer, whilst it would be a surprise to see Rigg and Jobe Bellingham remain at the club, with so much interest in the pair.
One of the core issues lies in the fact that both players are clearly ready for the step-up to the Premier League.
However, Sunderland may have a chance at hanging onto at least one, or possibly both players this summer, but that is contingent on their performance in the playoffs at the end of the season.
If the Black Cats manage promotion, not only will they be able to sell the idea of remaining with the club for at least one more season in the top flight, but the club will also have more leverage when it comes to demanding a higher transfer fee for their young stars.