Manchester United are reportedly in a battle with Arsenal over a deal to sign Sunderland duo Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Red Devils are expected to revamp their midfield department next summer. Casemiro has found completely out of favour under new head coach Ruben Amorim so he is likely to leave the club ahead of next season.
Moreover, Christian Eriksen has entered the final few months of his existing deal and it appears Man Utd are not going to hand him a new deal. Therefore, he is expected to leave the club as a free agent at the end of this season.
Other than the duo, Amorim has Manual Ugarte, Toby Collyer, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes at his disposal to deploy in the engine room.
However, Bruno is more comfortable in the attacking midfield position, while Mainoo also looked better in No.10 position in a recent game than in the holding midfielder role.
Battle
Now, Fichajes state that United want to inject fresh blood in their engine room and have identified Bellingham, the younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, and Rigg as serious targets after monitoring their development closely this season.
The Black Cats don’t want to let their star duo leave the club just yet but they may find it difficult to resist should they receive a lucrative proposal from Man Utd. However, Amorim’s side aren’t alone in this race as Arsenal are also keen on luring the duo away from the Stadium of Light.
The Gunners have been in search of new midfielders due to the uncertainty surrounding Thomas Partey and Jorginho’s future. Both have entered the final few months of their respective contracts. The Italian is set to leave the club as a free agent with Brazilian side Flamengo leading the race to secure his service.
Bellingham is still just 19, while Rigg is just 17 and at this tender age, they have been playing regularly for Sunderland this season. The duo are highly talented players and possess the potential to reach the top.
Therefore, they would be a great coup for Arsenal or Man Utd if either club eventually manage to secure their services next summer.
