While putting those Real Madrid rumours to bed for good, Alexis Mac Allister becomes the latest Premier League champion-in-waiting to commit his future to Liverpool.
As Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah both ink new deals, as talks continue over Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley, Liverpool’s Argentine sensation is making it clear that he will not be following in the footsteps of Steve McManaman, Michael Owen and Xabi Alonso.
Alexis Mac Allister’s father played down those Real Madrid rumours earlier in the month.
Now, with The Reds just one win away from a second-ever Premier League title, the World Cup winner himself took the chance to explain that he does not see ‘any need’ to consider his options right now.
How the Sunderland fans must wish for their beloved Liverpool-linked Chris Rigg to come out and emulate Mac Allister. Thus, ending a summer of fierce speculation before it even begins.
Chris Rigg could be Liverpool’s ideal Alexis Mac Allister understudy
There appears to be no halting the rumour train at this stage, though.
Liverpool have scouted the £25 million-rated Chris Rigg in action for promotion-seeking Sunderland across recent months. The Reds are not alone, of course.
Manchester United and perennial diamond-unearthers Borussia Dortmund are in the mix too, alongside Merseyside rivals Everton.
Promotion via the play-offs would give Sunderland some hope of retaining the Hebburn-born academy graduate. But, even if Premier League football returns to Wearside, there is a feeling that Rigg – a la Jude Bellingham at Birmingham City – is outgrowing his current pond even if the teenager’s form has dipped a little in the spring.
“Has he found it pretty tough to maintain super-high standards throughout the season? Yeah. But that’s partly reflective of the team he is playing for,” EFL expert Ali Maxwell says on the Not the Top 20 podcast.
“[Sunderland] have had a real drop-off over the last couple of months, which is going to make it pretty tough for a player like this.”
The 2024/25 campaign has still been one of substantial progress, however.
Still only 17 years of age, Rigg has started 34 league matches, scoring four goals along the way. All the while evolving into a driving force behind the Black Cats play-off charge alongside fellow teenager – and Jude’s kid brother – Jobe Bellingham.
While obviously far from the finished article, Rigg is a silky smooth mover. Even mermaids are not safe from his impudent nutmegs.
There are shades of the aforementioned Mac Allister, too, in the way Rigg manoeuvres the ball through tight spaces and against a high press.
Others have likened Rigg to Jude Bellingham – the last Championship midfielder to perform at this level under the age of 18 – while former Sunderland ace Marco Gabbiadini sees a young Jack Grealish in the elegant England Under-21 international.
Sunderland starlet Rigg would bring steel and silk to Anfield
That exquisite backheel finish against rivals Middlesbrough late last year would not look out of place in a compilation of Grealish’s finest Aston Villa moments.
Maxwell’s run-down of Rigg’s various attributes, though, do paint the picture of a young up-and-comer capable of acting as an understudy for Mac Allister while honing his talents under the Argentine’s wing.
“Now, Rigg is not yet a deadly goal threat or a next-level creator. But I think certainly the latter will come at some point,” Maxwell explains. “There a few things he has proven that are such a good foundation for him to build on as he gets older.
“In possession, such a good decision-maker. Very clean technically and in tight spaces. Has good vision, looks after the ball really well, doesn’t go for Hollywood, high-volume passes. He is really good at keeping the ball and combining with team-mates and, without the ball, works really hard.
“He has got quite a small stature – as you would expect from a 17-year-old playing men’s football – but above average for ‘duels won’ percentage and ‘aerial duels won’ which is pretty impressive, as well as recoveries.
“Impressive numbers.”
Mac Allister, one of the most complete central midfielders in the game today, equal parts distributor and disruptor, may relish the addition of a budding, baby-faced youngster willing to learn from his example.
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