Tottenham, Bournemouth ‘eyeing up’ January transfer swoop for Sunderland hero

Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth are reportedly interested in signing Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin during the upcoming January transfer window.

The 23-year-old has not featured in a competitive sense for the Black Cats since the playoff final success over Sheffield United at Wembley on May 24, when he managed to full 90 minutes.

Cirkin has spent large chunk of 2025 battling with troublesome knee and wrist injuries, however the left-back is nearing a long-awaited return to first-team action.

The defender played 45 minutes for Sunderland Under-21s in Premier League 2 against Ipswich Town Under-21s on November 7, with head coach Regis Le Bris recently stating that the player could return to top-flight squads in a few weeks.

Since signing at the Stadium of Light during the summer transfer window of 2021, Cirkin has featured in 116 matches for high-flying Sunderland, scoring eight goals.

Tottenham, Bournemouth want Sunderland’s Cirkin in January?

According to SportsBoom, Cirkin could be waving goodbye to the North-East giants after four years in the very near future.

The report claims that Sunderland are willing to listen to offers for the 23-year-old if suitable bids arrive during the January transfer window.

It is understood that Europa League holders Tottenham are considering a swoop for Cirkin, who was once part of the academy setup at the North London club.

As well as Spurs, it is believed that Europe-chasing Bournemouth have made a ‘tentative approach’ for the left-back, who is yet to feature in a Premier League match.

Despite strong interest from elsewhere in the division, it is stated that Cirkin could yet earn a contract extension at Sunderland, given he returns to prominence in the first team following his injury setback.

Cirkin’s Sunderland competition

Playing 39 Championship matches for Sunderland last season on the way to promotion, Cirkin was undoubtedly the first-choice option in his position.

However, with the Black Cats splashing out over £160m on new talent during the summer, the 23-year-old will return to increased competition in the left-back role.