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Transfer expert Graeme Bailey believes that youngster Chris Rigg is going to be joining Newcastle United in the near future.
The Lowdown: Building for the future
Newcastle finally made their breakthrough in the transfer window over the weekend as Anthony Gordon penned a long-term deal with the club, while Harrison Ashby looks to be the next one through the door.
Both players are at the start of their careers, which shows the shift in approach that Dan Ashworth is looking to implement on Tyneside, which is now to buy young players and allow them to develop into stars instead of splashing out enormous fees for more experienced heads.
The Magpies could be soon set to see a huge north-east talent rock up at St James’ Park from arch-rivals Sunderland in the form of Chris Rigg, who’s already got valuable first-team minutes under his belt.
The Latest: Rigg set for Newcastle
Bailey has made the bold claim while speaking on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel that Rigg, who’s said to be a boyhood Toon fan, will join Newcastle despite getting first-team chances on Wearside.
He said: “Chris Rigg, clubs are trying to get him – Man United, he’s got his pick of clubs.
“Fortunately for you, he’s a Mag. His family are huge Mags, as you guys know. He’s Newcastle-bound – I did a story just before his debut in the cup tie. He’s Newcastle-bound, from my understanding.
“He’s a huge talent. I remember a scout telling me 18 months ago he was the nearest thing to Bryan Robson that he’s seen in north-east football.”
The Latest: Ashworth laying the foundations
It will be encouraging for Newcastle fans to see their club acting responsibly by not just spending a huge amount of money on current players to achieve immediate success. Instead, they are clearly in it for the long haul by going for players such as Garang Kuol, Ashby and Rigg.
The latter should excite a lot of fans because if he’s already getting first-team minutes against Premier League opposition as he did on Saturday, Rigg certainly has something about him for both now and in the future, as shown by almost scoring the winner against Fulham as he delighted Tony Mowbray with his performance.
Given Rigg’s tender age, it would be smart for Newcastle to swoop in and bring him to his boyhood club as soon as possible before other sides such as Manchester United get their claws into him and tempt him to Old Trafford.
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