The Magpies are reportedly tracking Chris Rigg - a starlet at their fierce rivals, Sunderland
Comments
Sport
Chris Rigg of England arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA U19 EURO Elite Round match between England and Turkey at Deeside Stadium, Connah's Quay, Wales. Photo by Matt McNulty - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Chris Rigg of England arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA U19 EURO Elite Round match between England and Turkey at Deeside Stadium, Connah's Quay, Wales. Photo by Matt McNulty - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Newcastle United could join the battle to sign midfielder Chris Rigg, a player Everton have also tracked. The 17-year-old has been at the heart of Sunderland’s promotion push, notching up 34 games in the Championship so far this season.
His displays have attracted the attention of a series of Premier League clubs, including Everton.
Article continues below
Manager David Moyes is keen to strengthen his midfield in the summer, having identified it as an area in need of work when he first arrived in January.
READ MORE: Vitalii Mykolenko speaks out on injury and Everton treatment plan before LiverpoolREAD MORE: Marco Silva makes classy Everton comments and 'people don't understand claim'
Efforts to add depth to a central midfield that includes Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye - both of whom are currently out of contract in the summer - saw the likes of Chelsea’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff considered.
In Rigg, the Blues have taken interest in another North East based star.
Whether he becomes a legitimate target in the summer will depend on how this season ends for Sunderland. Should the Black Cats win promotion through the play-offs then it will be much harder to prise him away from the Stadium of Light.
But should top flight football slip from their grasp, Rigg is set to attract enquiries from a flurry of clubs and Everton may end up being one of them.
Moyes enjoyed success in plucking talent from the Championship in his first stint at Everton and has remained watchful of the second tier since, growing frustrated while at West Ham United as the club missed out on a host of stars he liked and who have since had an impact in the Premier League.
The Blues have enjoyed a positive relationship with Sunderland over recent years, signing young striker Francis Okoronkwo from them while the likes of Finch Farm starlets Nathan Broadhead and Ellis Simms enjoyed positive spells on loan when heading in the opposite direction.
Rigg is set to be hot property though, and the Newcastle Chronicle reports he has been identified as a potential target despite the rivalry between the clubs. The youngster is part of the England Under-19s setup and, should he end up at Finch Farm, he would join the club's own midfield prospect Harrison Armstrong, who is part of the England U18s.
Reports of Newcastle's interest in Rigg come as the Premier League confirmed the dates for the summer transfer window on Thursday.
The window will open early, between June 1 and June 10, due to the FIFA Club World Cup. It will then reopen on June 16 and close on September 1.