Chris Rigg sends message as Sunderland exit agreed
Chris Rigg is already attracting interest from England’s biggest clubs as he looks to push Sunderland into the Premier League.
Regis Le Bris’ men sit fourth in the Championship and are set to finish in the playoffs, where they will compete for a spot in next season’s Premier League.
Rigg has played a vital role in Sunderland’s promotion-chasing efforts, with four goals and one assist in 35 Championship outings.
The 17-year-old’s performances for the Mackems have not gone unnoticed, as he has attracted transfer interest from the likes of Everton.
Rigg reacts as Sunderland exit deal agreed
While Rigg could potentially leave the Stadium of Light this summer, teammate Tommy Watson has already agreed a deal to join Brighton ahead of next season.
| Tommy Watson stats | 2024/25 Championship |
| Appearances | 14 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 0 |
After coming through the academy ranks at Sunderland, the 18-year-old wrote an emotional exit message on Instagram: “Mackems, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
“The support you’ve all shown me as I’ve come through the academy and broken into the first team has been amazing.
“Although the journey is not over yet, as the news of my move breaks, I wanted to come on here and express a massive thank you to everyone along the way.
“We’ve still got one massive push till the end of the season and goals to achieve.
“I’ll give my all to the team to make sure we do everything we can to reach them.”
Rigg immediately reacted to the post with his own message to Watson, sharing a red heart ahead of the final seven games of the season.
Watson’s exit will come as a blow to Sunderland
Amid injury struggles, Watson has not been able to play a key role in Sunderland’s season, although he has scored two goals in 14 Championship appearances.
However, having made just two outings for the Mackems before the current campaign, the 18-year-old was enjoying his breakthrough season at the Stadium of Light.
The young winger still has plenty of potential, but Le Bris’s men may never see the very best of Watson now that he will be playing in the Premier League for Brighton next term.
He displayed his potential back in December when he scored a brace to seal a 2-1 win for Sunderland over Stoke after the Potters had initially established an early lead.
Watson’s exit message indicates that he is still more than willing to do all he can to help the Mackems in their quest to win promotion, but the Black Cats faithful will be upset by his exit.