Sunderland may well lose Chris Rigg to the Premier League this summer, but suggestions that they’re asking too much money for the teenage sensation are unfounded.
For the last two years now, Sunderland fans have been mesmerised by the on-field antics of Chris Rigg, a youngster with the potential to be the club’s very best homegrown talent of all time.
On his day, Rigg is the driving force and the main creative outlet in the Black Cats lineup. Granted, he’s been hampered by fatigue this season, but that’s more testament to the value he brings to the team, in that Regis Le Bris cannot afford to give him a rest.
We know Rigg is wanted by a number of big clubs, and there has been much debate over his asking price, with Sunderland eager to get the best possible deal for one of their top talents.
Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
Sunderland are right to demand £40m for Chris Rigg
The latest on the situation is that Sunderland want £40m for Rigg. That’s a price tag that has seemingly deterred the likes of Everton and West Ham, who only want to pay £10m rather than the ‘crazy’ figure cited by the Black Cats, as per Alan Nixon.
The likelihood is that the £40m fee would not put off bigger clubs like Manchester United, or indeed, Borussia Dortmund, who are also looking at Rigg.
Regardless, this brings up the age-old debate as to who, and indeed what, should determine a player’s price tag. The fact of the matter is, the selling club can name any price they want, especially if they are in a strong position regarding the player’s contract.
Rigg is contracted until 2027, so Sunderland are in no rush to sell really. That adds value in itself, but there’s also the fact that Rigg is one of the best players in the Championship, with massive potential, and is someone the club hold dear to them due to his homegrown status.
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Between that sentimentality and the high ceiling Rigg has, Sunderland are more than within their rights to demand £40m for one of their top players.
Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Archie Gray proved he is worth the money, Chris Rigg can do the same
You only have to look at Archie Gray’s incredible transition from being a promising Championship prospect to being one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most consistent players this season to understand that Sunderland are not being unrealistic in their valuation of Rigg.
The exact amount Spurs paid for Gray is unclear. Some reports (like this one from Football.London) suggest it was £40m, while others from the BBC claim it was closer to £30m.
That’s not really the point here. The fact of the matter is, a Big Six club in the top flight paid a massive amount of money to sign a teenager from the second tier, and the transfer paid off and then some.
Already, Gray has shown his maturity and ability at the very top level of the game, as well as being versatile enough to fill various different positions under Ange Postecoglou.
Many baulked at the figures being cited at the time when Gray made his move, but he’s proven them all wrong immediately.
Gray made that move with just one season in the Championship under his belt. A very impressive one, granted, in which he played all but two of Leeds’ games, but still, he was far less experienced than Rigg already is.
Statistics Chris Rigg Archie Gray (before joining Spurs)
Appearances 59 52
Minutes 3,609 4,268
Goals 7 0
Assists 1 2
Correct as of 01/04/25
Any club signing Rigg will get a player who has already got two full campaigns in the Championship to his name, with (what will eventually be) more than 60, almost 70 senior appearances at the age of 17 — a year younger than Gray when he joined Spurs.
Regardless of who is the better player out of Gray and Rigg, the underlying fact is that no club should be afraid of the price tag Sunderland have put around the youngster’s neck. They’re not just paying for the player we see today, but the player Rigg will undoubtedly become over the next 15 years, too.