Tottenham Hotspur sent scouts to watch Sunderland’s Tommy Watson on Saturday, while Crystal Palace and West Ham United are also interested, according to TBR Football.
The North London club pounced on the opportunity to witness one of the Black Cats’ most promising talents in the capital as they drew 1-1 with Millwall at The Den.
TBR Football understands that Crystal Palace and West Ham are also believed to be tracking the 18-year-old winger.
Watson was not the only point of attraction at The Den, with Sunderlandstar Chris Rigg also being scouted by Spurs and Arsenal.
Tommy Watson benefiting from increased minutes for Sunderland
Brighton & Hove Albion made an audacious deadline day bid for Watson at the end of the summer transfer window.
Although not many outside of Sunderland would have known much about the up-and-coming talent, the Seagulls were clearly onto something.
The Wearsiders resisted Brighton’s approach and while the 18-year-old had to remain patient for opportunities, he is now emerging as a regular under Regis Le Bris.
Having featured as a late substitute in his first four appearances for the club, Watson has started in each of his last two outings, against Preston North End and Millwall.
Watson is likely to feature more heavily in the coming weeks, with Romaine Mundle set to be out with a hamstring injury until the New Year.
Furthermore, Patrick Roberts will likely see his minutes managed. Although a regular starter, the winger rarely completes 90 minutes of football.
Tommy Watson’s 2024/25 Championship statistics – per SofaScore |
|
Appearances |
6 |
Started |
2 |
Minutes per game |
32 |
Touches |
13.7 |
Accurate passes per game |
3.7 (76%) |
Total duels won |
2.7 (53%) |
Watson following in Chris Rigg’s footsteps
Watson following in Chris Rigg’s footsteps
The right-winger is following in the footsteps of Rigg, who is now a regular starter for the club, having come through the academy.
Rigg made his debut at 15 years of age for the Black Cats and, although he was a squad player last season, he has proven too good to be rested this term.
Le Bris has shown that he is not afraid to give youth a chance and is a believer that if you are good enough, then you are old enough.
This belief will surely play into Watson’s hands, who has been knocking on the door for quite some time. With Mundle out for a lengthy period, now is his chance to shine.
Jack Clarke comparisons and January links
Comparisons to Jack Clarke have been thrown around regularly, with many claiming Watson is a re-gen of the departed Ipswich Town winger.
Those similarities are glaringly obvious, considering their position, direct style of play and ability to beat a man.
Reports of Premier League interest in Watson are not surprising as the teenager looks destined for a bright future in the game.
Given his age and the fact he has over a year and a half remaining on his current deal, it would take some offer for the Wearsiders to consider letting him leave.
With the 18-year-old in line to play his longest stretch of games in his budding career, he will be relishing the opportunity to make an impact for his boyhood club.
Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham take action over Sunderland star Chris Rigg
Premier League trio Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United reportedly sent scouts to run the rule over Sunderland starlet Chris Rigg last Saturday.
TBR Football believe the trio and others all had transfer spies in attendance at The Den, when the Black Cats took on Millwallin the English capital.
Rigg, who has started regularly for the Wearside outfit this season, was in the starting lineup once again and played the full game against Neil Harris’ side.
He looked set to be part of a winning team at The Den, with Aaron Connolly’s goal separating the teams for much of the game.
But Femi Azeez struck in stoppage time to prevent the Black Cats from winning three precious points.
This is a blow for Rigg, who will be keen to see his side secure a return to the Premier League, but he is continuing to win valuable game time at a senior level.
Impressing already this season, scoring important goals against the likes of Middlesbrough and Leeds Unitedduring the 2024/25 campaign, he will be keen to continue making a difference in the final third.
The 17-year-old didn’t put in his best performance last weekend, but the fact he’s holding his own at a senior level at such a young age is impressive, especially in a tough division like the Championship.
Chris Rigg’s performance v Millwall |
|
(Statistics source: Sofascore) |
|
Sofascore rating |
6.4 |
Touches |
50 |
Passing accuracy (%) |
53% |
Shots |
0 |
Total duels won |
4/11 |
Possession lost |
24 |
And if he can perform well consistently in the coming months, it may only be a matter of time before he ends up leaving the Stadium of Light, though many Black Cats fans will be hoping that he stays put for the foreseeable future.
His contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027 – and that has put Regis Le Bris’ side in a strong negotiating position ahead of the January transfer window.
Arsenal and Spurs scout Chris Rigg
TBR Football have reported that the Gunners and Spurs both made the trip to The Den to see Rigg in action, but they weren’t the only teams that were present in the English capital.
Brentford, Crystal Palace and West Ham also had scouts there to watch the player, according to the same report.
Palace have had a lot of joy in the Championship market in recent years, with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze coming from second-tier teams.
The Irons, meanwhile, recruited Crysencio Summerville from Leeds in the summer, and they may return to the second-tier market again.
The Gunners and Tottenham may be in the best position to recruit him though, considering the pair are likely to have a decent amount of money to spend in the next window or two.