Howe could strike gold by signing "wonderful" 15y/o "tiger" who "wants" NUFC transfer - opinion

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Newcastle United are yet to make a senior addition to their first-team squad in the January transfer window, with a week left to go before it slams shut.

The only incoming piece of business done by the club so far was the signing of 18-year-old winger Garang Kuol from Australian side Central Coast.

Kuol has since gone out on loan to Hearts and this suggests that the club see him as a player for the future, rather than someone who can have an immediate impact in the Premier League.

Another signing Eddie Howe could strike gold with in the future is Sunderland central midfielder Chris Rigg, who is a reported target for the club – along with Manchester United.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie recently told GIVEMESPORT that the midfielder is a Newcastle supporter and that the gem “wants” to play for the club.

Howe must now push Ashworth to get a deal over the line for the talented 15-year-old as the gem could be a future star, like Kuol, for the club further down the line.

The Toon head coach could bring the youngster in and strike gold by helping him to fulfill the potential that he has displayed at youth level for Sunderland.

Despite not turning 16 until June, Rigg has already captained England at under-16 level and been called up by the under-17’s. He has also made his senior debut after playing in the FA Cup earlier this month – featuring in nine minutes as a substitute.

Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray hailed the gem prior to that match, saying:

“He’s not a big, strong, physical, guy – he’s quite slight – but he has a wonderful left foot and he is an incredibly competitive animal. I’ve seen him for 20-30 minutes in an U21 game against Southampton, and his potential looks enormous to me.

“He looks like a footballer who can play with the silkiness with his left foot, and play lovely passes, but he also looks like a tiger in that he wants to tackle everyone, and that’s not a bad mix for a midfielder.”

These quotes from the experienced manager highlight the quality that Rigg has shown in training, in spite of his age, and suggest that there is a lot of scope for the gem to develop in the future.

The 15-year-old, who has provided two goals and four assists in 12 under-18 Premier League matches for Sunderland, is an extremely promising young talent and Howe must swoop to sign the Newcastle boyhood fan as he could be a future star for the club – which would represent the Magpies striking gold with the dynamo.

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