Championship clubs eye £40m-rated Durham-born player loan move plus Sunderland transfer latest

Sunderland sits at the table on goal difference heading into the two-week international break.

However, Régis Le Bris’ side thrice missed the opportunity to extend their lead over Sheffield United at the Championship’s summit after three draws against Queens Park Rangers, Preston North End and Coventry City.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, however, we take a look at the most interesting transfer stories doing the round:

Durham-born player attracting interest

Several Championship clubs are said to be interested in Durham-born defender Archie Gray with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly “braced” for January loan bids.

The former Leeds United man arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a whipping £40million this summer but has struggled to make an impact in London since the high-profile move during the last transfer window.

The 18-year-old has managed just 41 minutes in the top flight across five appearances this term with Ange Postecoglou seemingly easing the youngster into the top-flight. However, Gray has started every Europa League and Carabao Cup fixture for Spurs this season.

Gray played over 4,000 minutes of football in all competitions last term and his lack of minutes is thought to have Spurs preparing for a flurry of loan offers in the New Year. Reports from GiveMeSport claim that Tottenham and Gray have “no interest” in a temporary move away from the club with the player determined to fight his way into Postecoglou's XI.

The latest Sunderland-related gossip

Sunderland and the Football Association reached an agreement regarding wonderkid Chris Rigg this week. The 17-year-old was originally called up to represent England’s under-19 squad during the international break but both Sunderland and The FA have come to an agreement regarding the young midfielder, who has now been withdrawn from the squad.

Dennis Cirkin has been linked with Leeds United. The Sunday Mirror claims that the Whites are interested in the left-back this coming January but also adds that Sunderland are unlikely to sell the former Tottenham man. Cirkin is under contract at the club until 2026.

The Sun have claimed that Premier League club Nottingham Forest are interested in starlets Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson. The duo are highly rated, with Rigg playing in the majority of Sunderland’s games so far this season despite being just 17 years old. Watson made his first start for his boyhood club away to Preston North End recently. The Black Cats rebuffed bids from Brighton for the 18-year-old last summer.

The Sun also claim that Borussia Dortmund want Jobe Bellingham to follow in brother Jude's footsteps by moving to Germany. West Ham are also reportedly interested in the 19-year-old with Sunderland thought to value the highly-rated midfielder at around £21million. Last summer, Jobe extended his contract with Sunderland until the end of the 2027-28 season despite interest from other clubs including Crystal Palace and Brentford.

Former Sunderland full-back Patrick van Aanholt has signed for Eredivisie outfit Sparta Rotterdam. The defender, now 34, has been without a club since leaving Turkish giants Galatasaray over the summer. He has put pen to paper on a deal that will initially run until the end of the season, with the option for his stay at Het Kasteel to be extended by a further year.