Man Utd have scouted ‘mesmerising’ wonderkid this month, Ineos want talent with ‘Roy Keane-esque’ skills

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Manchester United’s plans for summer 2025 are already underway with scouts no doubt scouring Europe for young talents to bolster the squad.

Since Ineos arrived, recruitment at Old Trafford has taken a turn toward bringing in ultra-talented youngsters who have the potential to be elite.

Manchester United welcomed Sekou Kone, Chido Obi and Leny Yoro to the club in the summer which was the first instance of this new policy in effect.

In the winter transfer window, we also see this implemented with Patrick Dorgu joining from Lecce for a fee of £25m. Additionally, this past weekend United announced the signing of Ayden Heaven.

Diego Leon is another example of this business – and now Ineos are already looking to add to this list further during the summer transfer window.

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Manchester United scouting Chris Rigg last weekend

One wonderkid who United have been keen on for a while now is Chris Rigg from Sunderland.

United missed out on signing Rigg for £3m back in 2023, and will surely be regretting it as he proves to be a generational talent.

However, 2025 could be the year that this wrong is corrected, with United keen to sign the talented midfielder this year.

Now, it has been reported by talkSPORT that United had scouts at Sunderland’s win over Middlesbrough to watch Rigg.

Rigg has enjoyed a true breakout campaign for the Black Cats, so United will need to be very shrewd and fast in the market to secure the signing of a player who has ‘Roy Keane-esque’ skills as Tony Mowbray claimed while speaking to the BBC.

“He wants to win every tackle, every 5-a-side, every contest he’s in, which is pretty unique in a footballer. I shouldn’t really say it, but it’s that Roy Keane-esque type of ‘nastiness’.

“He’s a nice kid, but not so much of a nice kid when he’s got his boots on and is on the pitch.”

If United want to sign him, TBR’s transfer expert Graeme Bailey has highlighted there is a lot of interest, with Arsenal also at the game watching Rigg, along with Jobe Bellingham who United have been linked with.

• READ: Manchester United ‘pushing hard’ to sign ‘next Bryan Robson’ Chris Rigg as price tag is revealed

Rigg would be the crown jewel of Ineos’ recruitment

United’s move for Rigg has long been rumoured to happen in 2025. However, a January move was not considered likely, with Rigg much more receptive to a summer move.

At this time, Rigg’s performances will undoubtedly see Sunderland demand a bigger fee as he continues improving.

Rigg has been lauded by his teammate as being ‘mesmerising’ and his performances are sure to lead to plenty of interest.

At just 17 years old, Rigg would fit right into the policy United are working under and with his quality seen as the best to emerge in the Championship since Jude Bellingham, he could be the crown jewel for United.