Everton will sign Chris Rigg before Manchester United, giving them an advantage according to a new report.

When it comes to getting Chris Rigg, Everton has an interesting edge over Manchester United right now.

People from all over the world have been talking about the 17-year-old center star since he made Sunderland’s senior team last season. Since then, he’s only gotten better.

This season, he has played 11 league games for the Black Cats, scored three goals, and become an important player for manager Regis Le Bris. Chris Mepham even said that he “defies his age” [Chronicle Live].

Many clubs are only now noticing the young player, probably because Sunderland has been in the league for a few seasons. But the Toffees have been following him for years [Alan Nixon].

However, Man United are one of the newest teams to be interested in Rigg. This should make the Merseyside club more vulnerable, but they do have one major edge over the other teams.

Christopher Rigg is more likely to sign with Everton than with Manchester United.

The “advantage” in question is Liverpool goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who is said to have given the staff at Goodison Park inside information about Rigg [Graeme Bailey, 31 October].

The 31-year-old left the Stadium of Light in 2017, but he still has connections with people at Sunderland and could have a big impact on where their best players go next.

With almost 300 Premier League games and 71 England caps, Pickford’s record since leaving Sunderland should be enough to prove the young player’s credibility.

There are a lot of players who want to play for Manchester United because of the lights at Old Trafford, but the chaos at Man United right now is sure to turn him off.

Toffees must move quickly to make a bid for Rigg during the January transfer window if they are to trust Pickford’s opinion on him. There will be no more clubs waiting.

Grabb is a great example for Rigg of why he should move from Sunderland to Everton. Let’s hope the Toffees fan says something nice before the window opens.