Sunderland player could be a transfer coup in January - Coventry, Ipswich & Middlesbrough should be eyeing him | OneFootball

Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin is out of contract this summer, and Coventry City, Middlesbrough, and Ipswich Town should be lurking

Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin is out of contract at the Stadium of Light this summer, and numerous high-profile EFL Championship clubs should be closely monitoring the situation in case a deal can be struck this January.

Cirkin, 23, has yet to feature in the Premier League for Sunderland this season, having spent the last six months out of action due to several complications with his wrist and knee.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate made the switch to Sunderland in August 2021, then in League One, having never made a senior appearance for Spurs.

Cirkin is eligible to represent either Ireland, England (who has represented at youth level), Latvia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, the latter three of his parents' descent, and in his first professional season in the third tier, the left-back took the league by storm.

He made 34 appearances in the third tier as Sunderland were promoted via the play-offs, and he would remain as first-choice left-back under each of Alex Neil, Tony Mowbray, Michael Beale, and Regis Le Bris.

Last season, as Sunderland achieved promotion back to the top flight after an eight-year absence, Cirkin made 36 appearances in the Championship and played every minute during the play-offs as Tom Watson's late winner in the final secured a place in the Premier League for the Black Cats.

However, this season, he has found himself in the treatment room more often than not, and with both Reinildo and Arthur Masuaku arriving as competition in that position, the Irish-born Cirkin may struggle to break back into the side, and could be made available this January.

Clubs in the Championship should be closely monitoring the situation, with a potential transfer coup up for grabs, as we explore here:

Coventry City

There are not many areas of Coventry City's squad that need improving, truth be told.

The Sky Blues look like the team to beat in the Championship this season, scoring goals for fun and looking like the favourites for the title under former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard.

Jay Dasilva has emerged as Lampard's preferred choice at left-back, with the 27-year-old having started all but one game in the Championship this season ahead of Coventry's trip away to Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

Miguel Angel Brau and Jake Bidwell have acted as cover in the role this season behind Dasilva, but should an opportunity arise for Lampard to improve his side, you would imagine he would take it.

Coventry may already have their sights set on recruiting for the Premier League, and Cirkin could prove to be a savvy piece of business on a free, should they go in for him.

Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town's Leif Davis is regularly the subject of interest during the window, with Nottingham Forest having been reported to have held an interest in the left-back this summer.

However, Davis has recently penned a new deal at Portman Road, extending his deal until 2029, though as far as other options go behind him, head coach Kieran McKenna is not exactly blessed with options.

Ashley Young arrived at the club this summer on a free transfer, but at 40, he isn't getting any younger, whilst 30-year-old Conor Townsend is also expected to spend much of the season out with an ACL injury.

Cirkin, who is also able to cover at centre-back if required, would offer strong competition for Davis at left-back and be able to cover either of those two positions in the back line should McKenna call upon him to do so, and could prove to be a low-risk, high-reward addition to the Tractor Boys squad.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough have defied most people's expectations in the early stages of this campaign to assert themselves as real contenders for automatic promotion, alongside Coventry.

With Kim Hellberg snubbing Swansea City and coming in to replace the outgoing Rob Edwards, Boro already find themselves entering a new era under the Swedish head coach just over a third of the way into the season.

Newcastle United loanee Matt Targett has been the preferred choice at left-back for Boro this season, leaving Alex Bangura stapled to the bench and on the verge of an exit.

Should Boro remain strong contenders for a top six finish come January, they may look to a fellow North-East club for reinforcements at left-back, with Cirkin potentially available as an option.

The 23-year-old would offer a more long-term solution at left-back than that of Targett, and at just 23 with ample Championship experience, Cirkin would be an exceptional piece of business should Boro manage to pull it off.