Manchester United are in the midst of a transfer battle as they hope to sign one of the Championship's brightest stars.
Ruben Amorim - ranked at no.11 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now - is set to take over at Old Trafford on November 11, having been appointed as Erik ten Hag's successor earlier this month.
But with their still an onus on improving the Red Devils squad in order to further bolster their silverware hopes, INEOS is said to have identified one player from the second division who ticks all the boxes.
Manchester United are facing stiff competition from Real Madrid and Liverpool for Chris Rigg
According to teamTALK, Manchester United now know the required fee in order to lure Sunderland sensation Chris Rigg away from the north-east, with Real Madrid and Liverpool also said to be chasing the teenager's signature.
Rigg, 17, has broken through in dramatic style at the Stadium of Light this season, with the Black Cats currently top of England's second tier, having lost just twice so far.
The report states how a fee of £25m is the total Sunderland are holding out for, with Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig all showing their own interest in a player who continues to impress.
Rigg has been labelled the ‘best young English player since Jude Bellingham,' and the now Real Madrid star enjoyed a period in Germany that helped him gain European experience away from the pressures of the English media.
“The interest is always a backhanded compliment," said Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman recently when asked Rigg. "Would we rather have a team full of talent where everyone is talking about buying and trading our players, or would we rather have a group that no one's really interested in?
"I think it's not a hard question to answer. So we try to put ourselves in the right position around our contracts and how we manage our squad, etc. We try to provide that opportunity. We try to ensure that we're aligned with the players."
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In FourFourTwo's view, Sunderland would be foolish to allow Rigg to leave the club at least before the end of the season, given their hopes of returning to the Premier League. A capable midfielder, perhaps a summer transfer may work best for all parties.
Manchester United host Leicester City in the Premier League this Sunday, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take charge of the Red Devils for the final time before handing over to incoming boss Amorim.
