Sunderland astonishingly qualified for the Europa League by finishing seventh in their first season back in the Premier League under Regis Le Bris.
The Black Cats won promotion to the top-flight via the play-offs last year and, instead of fighting against relegation, they pushed on to qualify for Europe.
Not every player at the Stadium of Light has benefitted from the club's incredible rise from the Championship to European football, though, as there were big changes to the squad.
sunderland-premier-league-regis-le-bris
Plenty of signings were brought in, and it left teenage sensation Chris Rigg struggling for minutes at times, after he started 36 of his 42 appearances in the league last term.
The 18-year-old talent only played 18 times and started 11 matches in the Premier League this season for the Black Cats, and may have to consider his short-term future on Wearside.
Why Sunderland should cash in on Chris Rigg
Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City have been linked with an interest in the England youth international this week, which suggests that the club could have a chance to cash in on the midfielder.
Sunderland's Chris Rigg
Sunderland's Chris Rigg
There is never a guarantee that a player will fulfill their potential as a young prospect and Sunderland could sell the attacker to one of those teams and reinvest the money to ensure that they build a squad capable of competing in the Premier League and the Europa League.
Rigg, who has racked up eight goals in 92 first-team matches for the club to date, did not look ready to deliver consistently in the league for Le Bris this term, which was to be expected given his age.
The 18-year-old produced one goal and one assist in 18 games in the Premier League, whilst he lost 51% of his duels and averaged less than one tackle and one interception per game, offering little to the side out of possession.
Cashing in on Rigg now would be a risky move by Sunderland, as he could go on to develop into a superstar, but they have already been linked with a similar player who is an even bigger talent.
Sunderland could sign a bigger talent than Chris Rigg for £30m
It was recently reported that the Black Cats are expected to hold formal talks over a deal to sign Liverpool attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott, who is valued at £30m.
Harvey-Elliott
It remains to be seen whether or not their interest in the former England U21 international could be affected by Liverpool's decision to sack Arne Slot, as their next manager could decide that he wants to take a look at the left-footed star.
If he is still available, Elliott's arrival would allow Sunderland to cash in on Rigg because he is an even bigger talent and plays a similar role, as a left-footed star who can play in midfield or out wide on the right.
Championship Elliott (20/21) Rigg (24/25)
Appearances 41 42
Goals 7 4
Big chances missed 1 4
Big chances created 14 6
Assists 11 1
Successful dribbles per game 0.9 0.9
Elliott and Rigg both played a season in the Championship when they were 17 and turning 18 and it was the former who produced significantly better output, suggesting that he was an even bigger talent than Rigg is at the same age.
The Liverpool youngster proved himself out on loan with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and then went on to deliver 15 goals and 21 assists in 149 first-team games for the Reds.
His loan spell at Aston Villa this year did not go to plan, as he played nine times, but he has previously shown that he can be a star in the Premier League and in European competitions.
In the 2023/24 campaign, for example, Elliott racked up three goals and nine assists in 34 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool, whilst he also assisted four goals in ten games in the Europa League.
harvey-elliott-aston-villa
The 23-year-old talent has scored five goals and provided 13 assists in 99 Premier League games to date, which shows that he can be effective, particularly as a creator, at the top level.
Elliott would be the ideal signing for Sunderland as a replacement for Rigg because he is a young player with potential, at 23, but he has proven far more in the game than the 18-year-old, given his form in the top-flight and the Europa League.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
He could be exactly the kind of signing the Black Cats need to ensure that their squad is suited to compete on two fronts next term, given his experience in doing so across multiple seasons with Liverpool.
The next step for Sunderland now would be to see if any of the aforementioned teams are interested in putting a serious offer in for Rigg, and then seeing if they can get a deal done for Elliott as a replacement.
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