Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are reportedly battling it out to sign a player dubbed as one of the best young stars since Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham began his career in the Birmingham City academy and played a full season in the Championship after turning 16. Initially, he was positioned as a left midfielder to ease into professional football, but by the end of the 2019/20 season, he transitioned to his preferred central midfield role.
Today, Bellingham is considered one of the top midfielders globally at Real Madrid, following a successful three-year stint with Borussia Dortmund, which began in 2020. Prior to his move to Dortmund, Manchester United was among the clubs interested in signing him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, then Manchester United’s manager, revealed on The Overlap that Bellingham toured the club’s training facilities, with legends like Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and Wayne Rooney trying to persuade him to choose Old Trafford. However, the transfer did not happen, and Manchester United might now miss out on another promising talent, Chris Rigg.
According to HITC, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are currently leading the pursuit of Sunderland’s young star Chris Rigg. At 17, Rigg, who also spent his early career in England’s second tier, made his senior debut at just 15 in an FA Cup match against Shrewsbury Town in January 2023.
Rigg has featured in three of Sunderland’s four league games this season under new head coach Regis Le Bris and is currently representing England U18 internationally. His contract with Sunderland runs until the summer of 2027.
In the summer of 2023, he had the opportunity to join Manchester United but chose to remain at Sunderland, where he signed a scholarship contract. Under Tony Mowbray’s guidance, Rigg made notable progress, including making his senior debut and becoming a regular part of the squad early this year.
