Leeds United bounced back to winning ways after beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 on Saturday (9 November) in the Championship at Elland Road.
With that victory, the Whites moved to second in the table, two points behind Sunderland.
The race for automatic promotion could go down to the wire, and Sunderland are determined not to lose any of their key players in the January window.
According to a report from Sunday Mirror (page 69), the Whites are keen to sign Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin.
The 22-year-old is seen as a “highly-rated” left-back. He progressed through the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Sunderland in the summer of 2021.
He has made 92 appearances for the Black Cats in all competitions, and Leeds have earmarked him as a potential option to solve their left-back issues.
Junior Firpo has been brilliant for the Whites under Daniel Farke, but they lack enough quality and depth in that area.
Sunderland, however, have no intention of losing their left-back to Leeds. In fact, they are also not willing to offload Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg.
Dennis Cirkin would be a smart addition to Leeds United
Cirkin scored a stunning goal on Saturday as Sunderland drew 2-2 against Coventry.
He has been brilliant for the Black Cats this season, making 15 starts in the Championship. He has been superb at the back, as they kept nine clean sheets so far.
Cirkin is very strong at tackling, and he manages 3.4 tackles per game. He has also made 1.8 interceptions and 2.7 clearances, which shows his importance to the side.
Farke will be impressed by his ball retention ability, as he manages 3.4 ball recoveries per game. He hasn’t made a single error that led to a shot or a goal.
In terms of going forward, he has scored two goals and provided one assist in the league. Definitely, he is someone who can make Leeds even stronger.
Leeds can forget about signing Cirkin in January, but their chance of getting him will increase if they secure promotion and Sunderland fail to do so.
