Sunderland left back Dennis Cirkin’s contract at the Stadium of Light expires this summer, and other high-profile EFL Championship clubs should keep a careful eye on the situation in case a deal can be reached in January.
Cirkin, 23, has yet to play in the Premier League for Sunderland this season after missing the previous six months owing to issues with his wrist and knee.
The Tottenham Hotspur youth graduate, who had never made a senior appearance for Spurs, joined Sunderland in August 2021, when the club was in League One.
Cirkin is eligible to represent Ireland, England (where he has played at junior level), Latvia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, the latter three being of his parents’ heritage, and in his debut professional season in the third division, the left-back dominated the league.
He made 34 appearances in the third division as Sunderland advanced via the play-offs, and he remained the first-choice left-back under Alex Neil, Tony Mowbray, Michael Beale, and Regis Le Bris.
Last season, as Sunderland returned to the top level after an eight-year absence, Cirkin made 36 Championship appearances and played every minute of the play-offs, with Tom Watson’s late winner in the final securing the Black Cats’ Premier League position.
However, he has spent more time in the treatment room this season, and with both Reinildo and Arthur Masuaku joining as competition in that position, the Irish-born Cirkin may struggle to break back into the side and might be made available in January.
Clubs in the Championship should be keenly monitoring the situation, with a potential transfer coup on the table, as we explore here.
Coventry City
To be honest, there are few aspects in Coventry City’s squad that could be improved.
The Sky Blues look like the team to beat in the Championship this season, scoring goals at will and looking like title contenders under former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard.
Jay Dasilva has emerged as Lampard’s favorite left-back, having started all but one Championship game this season heading into Coventry’s trip to Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.
This season, Miguel Angel Brau and Jake Bidwell have provided cover for Dasilva, but if an opportunity to improve his side arises, Lampard is likely to use it.
Coventry may already be looking to recruit for the Premier League, and Cirkin may be a wise investment on the cheap if they sign him.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town’s Leif Davis is a regular target during the transfer window, with Nottingham Forest reportedly interested in the left-back this summer.
However, Davis just signed a new contract at Portman Road, extending his contract until 2029, but head coach Kieran McKenna is not exactly spoiled for choice in terms of other possibilities behind him.
Ashley Young joined the club on a free transfer this summer, but at 40, he isn’t getting any younger, and 30-year-old Conor Townsend is also slated to miss much of the season with an ACL injury.
Cirkin, who can also cover at centre-back if necessary, would provide strong competition for Davis at left-back and could cover either of those two positions in the back line if McKenna called on him to do so, making him a low-risk, high-reward addition to the Tractor Boys roster.
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough and Coventry have surpassed most people’s expectations in the early parts of this season, establishing themselves as legitimate challengers for automatic promotion.
With Kim Hellberg turning down Swansea City and replacing the departing Rob Edwards, Boro have already begun a new chapter under the Swedish head coach barely over a third of the way through the season.
Matt Targett, a Newcastle United loanee, has been Boro’s preferred left-back this season, leaving Alex Bangura on the bench and on the verge of departing.
If Boro remain strong candidates for a top six finish in January, they may seek to a fellow North-East club for reinforcements at left-back, with Cirkin a possible alternative.
The 23-year-old would provide a more long-term answer at left-back than Targett, and Cirkin, at only 23 and with plenty of Championship experience, would be an excellent signing if Boro can pull it off.
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