The Black Cats may have given themselves hope that they would be able to hold onto one of their most gifted young players after Mick Beale left.
After Michael Beale was fired, Sunderland now want to sign Chris Rigg to a new deal, as reported by talkSPORT.
The source claims that during Beale’s brief but mostly fruitless tenure, which saw the Black Cats miss out on the play-offs, Rigg was among several players who lost faith in the coach.
Indeed, one could say that throughout the 43-year-old’s tenure, which ended earlier this week, they regressed.
Playing under Beale for barely over thirty minutes, Rigg benefited nothing at all from Beale’s tenure at the team.
| Chris Rigg’s senior appearances [As of February 22nd] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | EFL Cup | FA Cup | Total | |
| 2022/23 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2023/24 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Total number of appearances: | 12 (2 goals) | |||
Even though the midfielder is only 16 years old, Tony Mowbray gave him his big break last season when he made his FA Cup debut at the age of 15.
Additionally, he has scored twice at the senior level this season, sending the Black Cats into a 5-0 lead against Russell Martin’s team after scoring against Southampton and Crewe Alexandra.
He will likely be frustrated not to have added to this total given that he scored both goals early in the season, even though his lack of playing time under Beale hasn’t helped his case.
Chris Rigg’s contract situation and transfer interest
The Black Cats are hoping to sign Rigg to a contract now that Beale is no longer around. Rigg can sign a professional contract once he becomes 17 years old.
Under interim manager Mike Dodds, he should see increased playing time, which is another factor that can convince him to stay at the Stadium of Light.
But with some of the best teams in the world showing interest in the gifted adolescent due to his performances, the Wearside club may have a tough time securing a new contract.
Newcastle United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and other Premier League teams are rumored to be interested in him.
Mike Dodds could be key in keeping Chris Rigg at Sunderland
Game time could be the factor that decides Rigg’s future. And Dodds has helped young players to thrive before, so expect to see the 16-year-old on the pitch a lot more regularly. Managing his game time will be important and the teenager will understand why.
But he should be given more opportunities to shine and if he does, he should be looking to put pen to paper on a new contract. This is because he isn’t guaranteed to win first-team football at a higher level at the moment.
Rigg needs to perform well if he is to win plenty of game time though. He needs to earn it.