As one of only three members of Sunderland’s 2022 League One promotion-winning squad to retain a place in the first team as of the time of writing, it’s probably fair to argue that Dennis Cirkin has an even greater appreciation of the progress that’s taken place at the Stadium of Light than many of his teammates — specifically our rollercoaster four-year journey from third-tier dreamers to Premier League competitors.
The newly-declared Latvian international’s early years on Wearside unfolded against
the backdrop of a process that wasn’t entirely trouble-free and occasionally hit ceilings as ‘The Model’ (a phrase we seldom seem to use nowadays) slowly began to have an impact, providing the club with the kind of stable financial footing and solid foundations that are paying dividends now — albeit not without the odd setback along the way.
Nonetheless, much like Trai Hume and Luke O’Nien, he’s stuck at it and ridden the wave all the way to the Premier League, and although 2025/2026 has been a curious and somewhat stop-start campaign for Cirkin, it’s one from which he’ll have undoubtedly benefited.
Never out of the first team picture but seldom used as a starter due to the brilliance of Reinildo and his own lingering injury concerns, he did gain valuable top flight experience when the former Mozambique international was on AFCON duty, and I felt he did well during that period — particularly when Manchester City arrived on Wearside and Cirkin was tasked with dealing with the lively Rayan Cherki, which he did impressively.
However, there remains an element of uncertainty regarding Cirkin’s future at Sunderland, with no news of a contract extension and nothing in the way of smoke signals to suggest a new deal could be in the works.
The radio silence is understandable in one sense, given that there’s a hell of a lot still to play for and contract negotiations could represent an unnecessary distraction for members of Régis Le Bris’ squad, but given that “succession planning” could be a phrase we hear regularly during the months to come, this could be a classic example of a solution needing to be found as swiftly as possible.
Cirkin’s situation hasn’t been disruptive but it’s been a touch frustrating because it would appear that he’s in the right place and well-placed to continue to develop as a top flight prospect. This is of course dependent on both his mental and physical wellbeing being at a level that allows him to train and play at maximum capacity — something that the club should rightly be keeping a keen eye on.
Long-term, I firmly believe that Cirkin can establish himself as a genuine Premier League-standard left back.
The smart money would suggest that Reinildo has at least one more season’s worth of top flight football left to give, but it goes without saying that he’ll need to managed smartly next season, being rotated in and out of the starting eleven in order to keep him fresh for Sunderland’s biggest games — in which he should arguably remain first choice.
However, by way of alternatives and given that the demands for further progress will be even louder and the ambitions for 2026/2027 arguably even loftier, should Sunderland target another big-money signing in that particular position or should they continue to show faith in Cirkin?
It could be a tough call but I do think there’s something to be said for a player biding their time, watching and learning, and being ready when the call comes.
The concept of the ‘footballing understudy’ may often seem old hat nowadays, given that youngsters are frequently at the centre of vague and often agent-driven notions of “guaranteed game time”, but despite being something of an enigmatic figure, Cirkin’s quality is there for all to see and if he does opt to put pen to paper on a new contract in a mutual show of faith between club and player, I see no reason why he can’t play a substantial role for Sunderland next season.
He’s served us well during his time here; he should’ve learned an awful lot from the presence of such a quality operator as Reinildo, and he’s got ample time on his side to prove that after earning his stripes in the third tier and during three seasons in the Championship, he’s got even more to give and to show that his prime years should be spent in red and white.
Let’s hope he sees the continued appeal of Sunderland, is willing to continue to put the effort in and decides to extend his stay. Barring an unforeseen twist, it feels like the best outcome for all parties.
