Man Utd pulled out of race for Sunderland prodigy Chris Rigg due to £3m price tag

Manchester United pulled out of a deal to sign youngster Chris Rigg on deadline day due to Sunderland’s £3m asking price, according to Alan Nixon on Patreon (h/t Manchester Evening News).

The Red Devils were interested in acquiring the services of the midfielder during the closing stages of the window. The 16-year-old has caught the attention of a number of top teams in England.

According to Nixon, United were in discussions to sign Rigg from Sunderland on deadline day. However, they pulled out of the proposed deal due to the Championship outfit’s £3 million asking price – which the Red Devils thought was excessive.

Rigg has made his way through the youth ranks at Sunderland. The youngster has been impressive for their U18 and U21 teams. He is capable of playing in multiple positions in the middle of the park.

In the previous campaign, the midfielder was handed his debut for Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup against Shrewsbury. The English national subsequently featured for the senior side in the same competition against Fulham as well.

Will Rigg be a target for United in future?

Over the weekend, Rigg came on as a substitute in the final minutes of Sunderland’s clash against Southampton in the Championship. The promising talent found the back of the net in the 5-0 victory.

At Man United, they have a manager in Erik ten Hag, who is renowned for his ability to mould young talent. The Dutch manager developed some of the biggest names in football during his time at Ajax Amsterdam.

Ten Hag has an abundance of prospects at United as well. Alejandro Garnacho broke onto the scene in the previous campaign. Recently, the Dutch manager has also shown faith in Kobbie Mainoo, but the 18-year-old suffered an injury during pre-season.

Rigg is a promising talent with a seemingly high ceiling. Therefore, it is not a surprise that United wanted to add the midfielder to their ranks. Now, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will revive their interest in the 16-year-old in January or next summer.