The blockbuster Everton and Sunderland swap transfer deal that could spark West Ham meltdown
A Sunderland prospect is attracting interest from Everton and West Ham
Premier League sides Everton and West Ham United have both been linked with a move for Sunderland youngster Chris Rigg as they look to add further young talents to their teams ahead of the new season. Statistically speaking, West Ham had the second oldest squad in the division last season with an average age of their team being 27.8. Meanwhile, Everton had the third oldest squad in the league with an average of 27.6.
Rigg is just 18-years-old and has already played for England 34 times at various age groups, ranging from Under-15 to Under-19. He’s already played 72 times for the Black Cats since coming through the academy and was a near ever present in the team’s recent promotion-winning season, playing 45 times and chipping in with four goals and one assists.
The Hebburn-born wonderkid, who was linked with a controversial move to Newcastle United, before signing a fresh extension 12 months ago, is reported by Football Insider to be admired by David Moyes and Graham Potter, and intriguing is thought to be available for the right price after Sunderland opted to fill their midfield with experience, including ex-Arsenal man Granit Xhaka.
Why Chris Rigg could leave Sunderland
Sunderland have returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2017. They won promotion with a young and fearless squad which was amongst the most youthful in the Championship, but after a weak end to last season before their play-off heroics, have shown a willingness to shuffle the pack and try to go down a slightly more experienced route.
Granit Xhaka, for example, is 32, has played 649 club matches and has played a further 137 for Switzerland at international level. He’s a former Arsenal captain, a Bundesliga winner and a proven leader on the pitch.
Enzo La Fee, 25, is much younger but has garnered experience playing for AS Roma in Serie A as well as Rennes and Lorient under Régis Le Bris. Simon Adingra, 23, has five seasons of top-flight experience. Meanwhile, Chemsdine Talbi, 20, Noah Sadiki, 20 and club-record signing Habib Diarra, 21, are all examples of younger signings.
Sunderland have spent heavily on their midfield but may still need to raise funds to find a forward. They scored just 58 goals in 46 matches last term; the lowest of any team inside the top six and will need to be ruthlessly clinical if they’re to convert enough chances to survive. Rigg could raise funds to facilitate a striker arrival if he was to depart, as he’s seen as a valuable player, and it could make sense to sell him, given the competition in midfield.
The bold swap deal Sunderland could look to strike with Everton
Back in 2023, Everton signed Beto for a figure of around £25m from Udinese. They never saw the best of him for the first 18 months, with the striker scoring just four times in the league in his opening 18 months. However, when former Sunderland boss David Moyes returned to Goodison Park, things quickly changed for the 27-year-old forward, who ended the season with eight goals after rediscovering his form and confidence.
Beto became a handful for defenders to deal with and added much-needed goals to his game, which allowed Everton to finish the season on a high. Intriguingly, however, following the signing of Thierno Barry from Villarreal, it’s surprisingly claimed Beto could depart for around £30m amid reported interest from Atalanta.
The 27-year-old is unlikely to be first choice at Everton and could potentially be sold despite his strong end to last season. Beto, to an extent, is Premier League proven based on last year’s showing and could potentially be a viable target for Sunderland, who could try and sign him as part of a deal which sees Rigg move in the opposite direction. It’s of course all hypothetical at this point, but it could be a cost effective way of Sunderland getting their hands on an experienced centre forward as they bid to beat the drop next term.