Danny Mills makes ‘careful’ admission amid Chris Rigg Sunderland exit links
Danny Mills has warned Chris Rigg to be “very careful” before making any decision on an exit from Sunderland despite Manchester United links.
The 17-year-old is quickly becoming a household name in English football with his high-level performances at the Stadium of Light earning him European transfer interest.
It was previously reported by Sunderland AFC News that Manchester United were the favourites to sign Rigg but Mills has urged the teen talent to be “very careful”.
Speaking on talkSPORT (19 November), Mills responded to a claim from Hugh Woozencroft stating he’d be “stunned” if Rigg stayed at Sunderland past this season. He said: “I wouldn’t. They maybe should (go in for Rigg). But I think as a young player now, you’ve got to be very, very careful, not to go too soon.
“He’s young. He’s having a great spell at the moment. But that can change very, very quickly. He’s not going to go to a Premier League club and play every week.”
Sunderland is the place to be for Chris Rigg
Rigg’s ceiling is far beyond that of Sunderland, but at the current moment, the two are a perfect match for each other. From a club perspective, Sunderland are benefitting massively from Rigg’s on-field performances while from his perspective, he’s getting regular game time and a huge chance to develop as a player.
For either party to decide on an exit simply wouldn’t make sense at the current moment.
The 17-year-old is destined for great things in football and his time will undoubtedly come but as has been seen with countless young players, an early move to a big club can ruin careers.
Some of the Black Cats’ star players from the past few seasons fell victim to that. Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts in particular, both made huge moves to Tottenham and Manchester City respectively but failed to ever make it at the club.
Right now, the best course of action for Rigg is to get his head down and develop as a player. As long as his performances remain, the transfer interest will as well.
Whenever Sunderland do cash in on the midfielder, they will likely be in for what will be a record sale at the club, surpassing the fee received for another academy graduate in Jordan Pickford.
In other Sunderland news, Graeme Murty has provided potential selection hints prior to the Black Cats’ encounter with Millwall.
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