Sunderland reportedly weigh January sale as Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth register transfer interest
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Sunderland are reportedly willing to consider offers for 23-year-old defender Dennis Cirkin in January – but only if their valuation is met, according to SportsBoom.
Cirkin, who joined the Black Cats from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021, is reportedly attracting interest from his former club, with Spurs said to be closely monitoring the situation ahead of the winter transfer window. The London side inserted a sell-on clause when he moved to Wearside, and have been repeatedly linked with bringing the left-back back to north London.
SportsBoom also claims that Bournemouth have reportedly made initial enquiries to establish whether Sunderland would be open to a sale. The Premier League club are believed to be assessing several left-back options and view Cirkin as a player with long-term potential if he can return to full fitness. Cirkin’s current deal expires next summer, placing Sunderland in a position where a decision on his future is fast approaching. The Black Cats are thought to be open to a renewal if the defender can put his injury troubles behind him and prove his reliability across the second half of the season.
The 23-year-old has endured a frustrating run with injuries over the past 18 months, limiting his starts and reducing his impact during Régis Le Bris’ early months in charge. However, when fully fit, Cirkin has been among the club’s most consistent performers, playing a vital role in the rise from League One to the Premier League. Sunderland are not believed to be actively pushing Cirkin out the door, but the club is increasingly pragmatic in the transfer market and would reportedly listen to significant offers.
Much will depend on his fitness trajectory in the coming weeks and whether Spurs or Bournemouth choose to firm up their interest with formal bids once January opens. For now, Cirkin’s future remains one of the key Sunderland storylines heading into the winter window – with multiple Premier League clubs watching the situation closely.
Cirkin recently completed two full 90 minutes for Sunderland’s youth side as he continues to build rhythm ahead of his eventual Premier League return. U21s lead coach Graeme Murty was quick to highlight both his quality and his leadership. “I think Dennis, if you talk to him, if you spend any time with Dennis, you realise overall what a good human being he is. He's a great lad, and I think he brings a real steady head but high standards to our group and he's fantastic for the players to work with,” Murty said.
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“He talks to them really respectfully, he teaches them really well and he's just really giving of his time. So we just want to thank all the first-team players, really. When they come in, they are, as you would hope, really, really good guys who are understanding of our young players and want them to do well, which sometimes isn't always the case. But with these guys, you get the perception that they want to be in the team, they want to make an impact, and they want our young players to succeed.”