Spurs and Hammers plan to break their own transfer record this summer for this super player
As much as last summer’s news was West Ham’s reported ‘£25 million’ signing for teenage sensation Luis Guilherme, the summer of ’25 looks like it is going to be dominated by the pursuit of a youngster from closer to home.
The reality of the Luis Guilherme deal was that West Ham actually parted with £19.5 million for the young star who has so far failed to make any impression on West Ham’s starting eleven and may well be out of the door this summer.
If stories both on Claret & Hugh and elsewhere are to be believed, West Ham are about to break their own transfer record for a teenager by signing Sunderland’s Chris Rigg in a deal – even today – reported at £20 million. For a seventeen year old.
Which is jaw dropping stuff, especially since fichajes.net claimed in a a pretty unlikely article earlier this week that:
“Tottenham have lodged a bid as high as €45m for the teenager”.
What is it about this player, then that has Premier League clubs scrambling? Totalfootballanalysis.com claimed in January:
“Across the EFL, Sunderland’s Chris Rigg has been one of the players to watch out for this season so far. He is an all-action midfielder who covers the entire pitch during some games, which certifies his excellent work rate. Although his involvement inside the box can sometimes be questioned, he makes up for it by playing a key role outside and driving attacks.”
Just what West Ham need in their post-Paquetá era, once the Brazilian has left for his (hopefully, FA hearing notwithstanding) more glamorous future.
The Hammers apparently lie in the box seat to sign Rigg, who was offered to the club ahead of other Premier League rivals as the player’s family feel it important for him to get game time instead of moving to a Chelsea or Liverpool only to sit festering in their reserves.
All will depend on Sunderland’s performance in the next few weeks – West Ham may be blowing the dust off the cheque book for a bid to eclipse that for Guilherme. We must all hope it works out better for all concerned this time around.
