Liverpool showing 'interest' in £25m Newcastle United & Arsenal 'target' who has 'mesmerised' teammates

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Wednesday as they head to Goodison Park for the final time. Merseyside rivals Everton are poised to move to their Bramley Moore Dock Stadium next season.

With both clubs out of the FA Cup, there is no chance of the rivals meeting at Goodison for a second time this campaign. The original fixture was postponed due to adverse weather conditions and it kicks off a busy two weeks for Arne Slot’s side. The Reds will contest five Premier League games in two weeks as the title race hots up.

While Slot and his squad will be focusing on the task at hand, there is succession planning going on ahead of the summer transfer window. Liverpool did not recruit any new players in January and only added Federico Chiesa to their senior squad last summer as he joined in a £12m deal from Juventus. A refresh is needed, especially when the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have yet to be resolved.

Liverpool ‘showing interest’ in Rigg

Per reports from Caught Offside, Liverpool are among a host of Premier League clubs interested in Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg. The player is only 17-years-old and will not turn 18 until June. He has been a regular for the Black Cats this season, making 29 appearances in all competitions and scoring four goals.

He made his professional debut for Sunderland in January 2023, becoming the second youngest player in the club’s history. Since his debut, he has made 54 appearances for Sunderland, netting seven times. The report from Caught Offside claims the midfielder is set to be available for £25m in the summer. However, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle and even Real Madrid have been credited with an interest in the player.

Sunderland are fighting for automatic promotion and sit five points adrift of Sheffield United in second with 15 games remaining in the Championship. They are in a strong position to secure a play-off spot, as they sit 15 points above Middlesbrough in seventh.

Rigg impressing team-mates

Earlier this season, Sunderland player Luke O'Nien heaped praise on Rigg after he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough in September. O’Nien said after that game: “He is unbelievable. Even in training some of the things he does are incredible. He is such a pleasure to watch. I am out of position half the time because I am just watching him. He is mesmerising. Chris has been one of our best players so far this season, but he is just doing what he does. The rest of the team are so happy for him.”

Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris added: “I think he is like a symbol of our process, our game model. He always wants to learn, to play whatever the circumstances are, whoever the opponent is. He deserves to play like this because I see it every training session, he prepares to be able to do this. I don't think the age is a problem. You can have a high level of maturity at 17 and a low level of maturity at 30.

“I think that Chris Rigg is a good symbol of what we want to create and build as a team. He still wants to improve, still wants to understand the game and if we can share all these ideas, we can have the energy we need as a team even against a strong opponent."

In other news, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola omitted mention of Liverpool’s achievements in the Champions League and European Cup as he compared his side’s recent success in the competition to the likes of Real Madrid.