Everton could now miss out on ‘unpredictable’ English gem thanks to special Sunderland plan

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Everton fans are yearning for more signings after Thierno Barry completed his move to the club earlier this week – but David Moyes may now struggle to land one promising youngster.

Barry became Everton’s second signing of the summer, after the club turned Carlos Alcaraz’s move permanent.

The hope is that a flurry of new faces will arrive in the coming days and weeks, with Everton’s team in need of strengthening all over the pitch.

A new right-back is still a big priority, as are new wingers.

And another new striker could potentially follow Barry, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin having decided to leave Everton at the end of his contract.

But one player Everton may now have difficulty landing, is the talented young Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg.

Sunderland ready to hand Everton transfer target Chris Rigg a third pay rise

It has become clear quite quickly this summer that Sunderland are going to give it a real go in 2024/25.

The Black Cats sealed promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United, and are now doing their utmost to ensure their squad is strong enough to survive.

For the last two seasons in a row, the three clubs that have been promoted have gone straight back down.

Sunderland – and also Leeds United and Burnley – want to buck that trend, and keeping Rigg is something they see as being very important.

Everton were first linked with Rigg last year, and speculation has remained over the last few months.

Going into the summer, it was claimed David Moyes wanted to beat Manchester United to Rigg.

Updates in recent weeks have been a little sparse, but now journalist Alan Nixon has reported via his Patreon that Sunderland are now seeking to hand Rigg a pay rise in order to ensure he stays.

Rigg has actually already recently come in for rises on two occasions, and is thought to be on around £20,000 per week.

Nixon reports that wage could now be bumped up to £40,000 per week, as Sunderland look to fend off interest from other clubs.

Nixon reiterates Everton’s interest, saying the Toffees, West Ham United and clubs in Germany have all been ‘watching developments’.

Chris Rigg to Everton unlikely

Everton may now find it tricky to land the highly rated Rigg, and Sunderland’s offer of £40,000 per week wages is simply huge.

Rigg only turned 18 last month, and there is probably a great chance he agrees a new contract if he is being offered that kind of money.

Rigg has been with Sunderland since he was a schoolboy, and it’s hard to see him pushing to leave if he could earn that much with his boyhood club.

And it would be a sensible decision, too.

As much as it would be great to see him join Everton, Rigg – who’s been branded ‘unpredictable on the ball’ (via BTL) – is best off staying where he is for now.

Sunderland have just got back into the Premier League, and he should see how things go before moving on – he still has plenty of time on his side for new chapters.