Sunderland AFC transfers: What we know about Dennis Cirkin's contract and Tottenham buy-back clause

Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin has posted an honest message to fans on social media following what the left-back described as a 'difficult season' for him personally - but what is the latest with his contract situation and what do we know?

What do we know about Dennis Cirkin's contract?

Cirkin agreed a three-year contract with the Black Cats in the summer of 2021 which means the defender will enter the final season of his current deal at the beginning of the campaign with the club likely already looking to rectify that situation during the upcoming off-season break.

Do Tottenham have the option to buy Dennis Cirkin back from Sunderland?

Spurs have a buy-back option of £6million which is valid until 30 June 2024. Should Tottenham not take up this buy-back option and the player moves elsewhere for a fee, they would be entitled to a percentage of profit on any subsequent sale.

Has it been suggested that Tottenham could activate the £6m buy-back clause?

Reports in October suggested that Tottenham could look to activate the £6million buy-back clause with some national outlets reporting that the club were interested in correcting their transfer error.

Cirkin was originally a product of Tottenham’s youth academy having moved to England from Ireland at the age of three but did not make any first-team appearances while at the Premier League club.

Are Tottenham likely to buy Dennis Cirkin back from Sunderland?

The Echo understands that Tottenham did not consider buying Dennis Cirkin from Sunderland last January and that the potential deal was never high on the agenda of decision-makers at Spurs.

In any case, Cirkin would have had to agree to return to Tottenham if the buy-back clause was triggered and it made little sense to pull the player out of a club where he is excelling and enjoying his football.

The move to bring Cirkin back to Tottenham wasn't seen as feasible by the London outfit at the time and that is likely still the case given Spurs are yet to appoint Antonio Conte's permanent successor.

There are scenarios in which this situation could change, however. Hypothetically speaking, should a Premier League rival come in with a bid for Cirkin, Tottenham could bring the player back to sell him on again.

However, this scenario feels unlikely at the moment given that Tottenham have struggled to offload fringe players at the club in recent campaigns.

What has Dennis Cirkin said recently?

On Twitter, Cirkin said after the season had finished: "First things first, immensely proud of this team, the fans and this club. Through all the challenges we faced this season, we fought right till the end and unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

"Absolutely devastated I didn’t get the chance to help the team due to injury, it’s been a difficult season for me with a lot of ups and downs but also had the chance to watch this team as a fan and enjoy the incredible football we’ve played with some incredible players.

"All season the support has been class, home and away, so thank you to every one of you."