Manchester United is “seriously interested” in being the first under Ruben Amorim to sign Sunderland star Chris Rigg, but faces stiff competition from other Premier League clubs.

Amorim will manage his first game for United on Sunday against Ipswich, having completed a Red Devils training session this week.

He has been told by United bosses that he will have a limited budget for signing players in January, so he has been tasked with unlocking the full potential of the squad he inherited from Erik ten Hag.

Inevitably, however, there have been a number of rumours about possible transfers in the transfer market and GIVEMESPORT now claims that United are “considering a deal that would see Chris Rig leave for Old Trafford in January”.

The urgency is said to be linked to the competition for his signature, as Newcastle, West Ham and Crystal Palace are also said to be interested in the 17-year-old central midfielder, whose performances in the Championship this season have earned him rave reviews, and are said to have paid around £30 million for him.

Rigg is also said to be interested in a transfer to Man Utd or Newcastle, who are also bidding to sign the centre-forward from their rivals, but would probably turn down less ambitious Premier League clubs.

“GMS sources have said that Rigg would be interested in Manchester United because of their profile and ambition in the coming seasons, but he has a similar view of Sunderland’s rivals Newcastle United as they too are considering whether to lure him to St James’ Park.

“When the time comes for Rigg to leave the Stadium of Light, he will be looking for a club that suits his ambitions,” sources have told GMS, and that is likely to be against West Ham United and Crystal Palace, although both London clubs were keen to strike a deal in the summer.

GMS sources recently revealed that Manchester United are monitoring the progress of this emerging talent, as they are determined to acquire homegrown youngsters who can have great sale value after drawing up plans for future transfer periods.