Newcastle ready to outmuscle rivals in race for midfield prospect with £2.5m bid being prepared

Newcastle United are getting ready to make a £2.5million bid for Sunderland teenager Chris Rigg, according to a report.

Rigg is yet to make his senior debut for Sunderland, since he is only 15 years old. But he is already progressing ahead of schedule and is featuring at under-21 level for Sunderland.

As a result, he has been catching the attention of a couple of Premier League clubs who have an eye to the future. Back in April, it was reported that Rigg was on the radar of both Everton and Newcastle.

Now, there seems to have been some progress from the latter. According to The Sun, Newcastle are preparing to put an offer on the table to Sunderland to acquire Rigg’s services.

The size of their potential offer could be as much as £2.5million, which would be a significant sum for a player of Rigg’s age. Indeed, the initial reports had suggested he would only be worth £1million – which would still be a major sum for someone in his bracket.

But Newcastle can see the midfielder’s potential and would like him to develop on Tyneside rather than Wearside. Such a switch may also appeal to his family, many of whom are Newcastle supporters.

As for their rivals Sunderland, there is a reluctance to lose a player of Rigg’s potential. However, The Sun predict they will struggle to fend off the wide range of interest.

The report also suggests that Everton might miss out on meeting the asking price Sunderland would be considering. Therefore, Newcastle might yet have a better chance of winning the race for the England under-16s youngster.

Meanwhile, another star in the making they are looking at is Scottish striker Lennon Miller.

He has already made his senior debut as a 16-year-old for Motherwell, for whom he is the youngest ever player.

Newcastle have sent scouts to watch his progress, which is also becoming evident on the international stage with Scotland’s under-17s setup.

Chris Rigg and Lennon Miller pursuits show Newcastle focusing on future too

Clearly, even though they have the wealth to buy as many ready-made stars as they can convince, Newcastle are also keen to build with an eye to the future.

Obviously, their riches can help in that department too. Few clubs would be willing to bid multiple millions of pounds for a player yet to make a senior debut.

But having identified Rigg’s potential, it seems they are willing to buck the trend by making such a move in the coming months. The same could go for Miller.

It will take a good few years to see whether their approaches will be worthwhile. But any move should be carefully calculated.

READ MORE: Newcastle learn price needed to fend off Barcelona and win race for highly rated midfield talent