League One Birmingham ready to battle Liverpool and Man Utd for England wonderkid and could spend nearly £10MILLION
BIRMINGHAM CITY are eyeing up an ambitious January swoop for Sunderland wonderkid Chris Rigg.
The 17-year-old burst onto the scene last season at the Stadium of Light.
RexChris Rigg is at the centre of a potential bidding war[/caption]
GettyThe 17-year-old signed his first pro contract with Sunderland over the summer[/caption]
Rigg impressed for England under-18s over the summer following his breakthrough campaign.
He made 21 appearances last term and has been with the Black Cats since he was at primary school.
Rigg became the second youngest player in the club’s history after making his debut against Shrewsbury in a cup tie last January.
His strong performances to start the season have caught the eye of ambitious Birmingham, as well as Premier League scouts.
Liverpool and Man Utd are reportedly interested in securing his signature in January.
SunSport’s Alan Nixon has revealed Birmingham are preparing to table a £10million offer and go toe-to-toe with the big guns.
Rigg is under contract at the Stadium of Light until the summer of 2027.
After signing the new deal, he beamed: “I want to develop as a player and improve as a person.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
“And I believe this is the best place for me to do that.”
Birmingham are backed by ambitious US chairman Tom Wagner, with NFL legend Tom Brady among his wealthy consortium.
The League One leaders showed off their financial clout during a summer of stunning squad upheaval at St Andrews.
Striker Jay Stansfield was tempted back to the Midlands from Fulham in a whopping £15million deal.
The 21-year-old had spent last season on loan with Blues, scoring 12 goals in the Championship.
GettyAmbitious Birmingham owner Tom Wagner (left) has teamed up with NFL legend Tom Brady[/caption]
Last season’s League One top scorer Alfie May was also added to the ranks, along with 16 other new faces.
Wagner told The Telegraph: “We’re working within the framework of League One rules, but also the Championship because of the three-year lookback.
“We expect to go back up, that’s clearly our ambition given that objective we need to look at the three-year rules in the Championship and make sure that in our forecasts every one of those years allows us to maintain proper P & S compliance.”
