Daniel Levy has a major squad concern to address this summer at Tottenham.
After winning the UEFA Europa League, Tottenham supporters will be keen to see their club continue to lift trophies under Thomas Frank.
With that in mind, there have been some high-profile players linked with a move to North London this summer, such as Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.
However, there is also an issue within the squad that needs addressing, and Tottenham could turn to Sunderland to do this.
Tottenham are lining up an offer for Dennis Cirkin
As reported by The Northern Echo (22 June), Tottenham are keen to negotiate the re-signing of Dennis Cirkin from Sunderland this summer.
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In part, this is because Tottenham view the 23-year-old as a young talent with considerable development potential. However, it is also so that they can address their lack of club-trained players.
UEFA Champions League rules state that competing teams must have at least four ‘club-trained’ players within their squad. A club-trained player is a player who has spent at least three full seasons at a club between the ages of 15 and 21.
Crikin would satisfy this criteria after joining Spurs’ academy before featuring for the Under-16s, and with that in mind, Tottenham are lining up a formal offer which would see Sunderland make a respectable profit on a player who was a main protagonist in their Premier League promotion campaign.
When Tottenham sold Cirkin to Sunderland, Levy included a buy-back clause in the deal. However, this clause has now expired, which means Tottenham will need to be ready to negotiate, as Sunderland do not want to lose Cirkin, as he is a key part of Regis Le Bris’ plans next season.
Djed Spence could be sidelined at Tottenham
Djed Spence has mainly played as a right-back throughout his career, but was converted into a left-back at Spurs last season.
The addition of Cirkin could see him struggle for minutes against an already stacked Tottenham defence. While the 24-year-old could become a second option for Pedro Porro if the Sunderland defender arrives, this may not satisfy him.
Indeed, Spence demonstrated his ability to consistently play at the top level when filling in for Destiny Udogie. He is as lethal going forward as he is at defending at the back. Therefore, as a player of his quality, he could opt to leave Spurs in search of gametime.