Transfers: Sunderland star linked with move as Championship rivals conclude free agent signing

Sunderland have won their opening four games in the Championship against Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley and Portsmouth under Régis Le Bris.

Domestic league football in the United Kingdom and Europe has been paused for the last week or so with the international break occurring, including Nations League fixtures. However, there has still been some interesting reports regarding Sunderland and their rivals in the Championship.

Here, we take a look at the headlines that you may have missed:

Hull City sign free agent

Hull City have moved to sign free agent Steven Alzate after the closure of last summer’s transfer window.

The 26-year-old has penned a two-year deal with Hull City after leaving Brighton upon the expiry of his contract earlier this summer,

Speaking after making the switch to City's MKM Stadium, Alzate said: "I'm extremely delighted to be here and for it to finally get done. Speaking to the directors, the ambition of the club was why I decided to join.

"Ex-teammates of mine have played here – Noah Ohio and Aaron Connolly – and said good things. I know Ryan Longman and Carl Rushworth from Brighton and Gustavo Puerta from the national team.

"I've never played here and I can't wait to get on the pitch. I’m looking forward to getting my first minutes, playing, getting some wins and hopefully contributing some goals and assists.

"Individually, I want to get as many games in as I can, get my stats up with goals and assists and, with my experience, help the team have a good season."

Transfer interest in Chris Rigg

Real Madrid and Dortmund are reportedly tracking Sunderland’s teenage sensation Chris Rigg.

The 17-year-old jetted off on England youth international duty this week after appearing in each of Sunderland’s opening games so far this season.

Rigg signed his first professional deal at the Academy of Light this summer amid interest from top-level European clubs and teams in the Premier League. However, Sunderland were able to offer Rigg a good financial package and the chance to play regularly in the Championship.

HITC claim that a number of top continental sides are taking an interest in Rigg’s progress. Indeed, the online publication even goes as far as to suggest that some scouts regard the starlet as “the best young English player since Jude Bellingham”.

Fellow German outfits RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich are also credited with interest, while a number of unnamed English sides are said to believe that Rigg has a “huge future” and that he is “likely to be the next big-money Championship departure”.

Rooney on Galloway ahead of Saturday

Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney has admitted that his side will “need to be careful” with ex-Sunderland defender Brendan Galloway ahead of the Black Cats’ visit to the south coast this weekend.

Speaking after Plymouth’s 1-0 loss to the Potters, manager Rooney urged patience with regards to Galloway’s involvement moving forwards. In an interview with Plymouth Live, he said: “It's more of a hamstring, but he gets a lot of swelling around his knees. I think sometimes if your hamstring is a little bit tight, it puts more pressure on your knees. With Brendan, we need to be careful, especially with his knees. He has had injuries before, so we need to be careful."