Dennis Cirkin Makes QPR Move After Emotional Sunderland Exit as Defender Starts New Chapter

Dennis Cirkin has joined QPR on a free transfer, returning to his home city after leaving Sunderland at the end of his contract. The 22-year-old left-back has signed a permanent deal ahead of the new Championship season as Rangers reshape their squad under head coach Julien Stéphan and chief executive Christian Nourry.

Cirkin has moved back to London as QPR prepare for their league opener away at Portsmouth this weekend. It is unclear whether he will feature on Saturday, having missed pre-season while his future was resolved.

'I am buzzing. It feels good to be back in London,' Cirkin told QPR's media team. 'After chatting with the CEO, the head coach and many people at the club, I feel like this is the right place for me, with the right ambition. They are very ambitious and that is something that aligns with me.'

He added that Stéphan's approach had influenced his decision: 'I am pretty much aligned with a lot of what the head coach has told me. His values, his morals. I cannot wait to work under him.'

Why Sunderland Let Cirkin Walk for Free

Cirkin's departure closes a five-year spell in which he made 127 appearances for Sunderland, becoming a regular in defence and featuring heavily in the club's promotion campaigns.

His final season was disrupted by a wrist injury that ruled him out of the start of Sunderland's Premier League campaign. By the time he returned to fitness in December, summer signing Reinildo Mandava had established himself in the left-back role.

Cirkin ended the season with only three starts and eight league appearances. With his contract expiring, Sunderland did not offer an extension and he left as a free agent.

Cirkin's Farewell Message to Sunderland Supporters

Before completing his QPR move, Cirkin posted a statement to Sunderland supporters, writing: 'The goodbye that once felt so far away is finally here. As a young boy, all I wanted was an opportunity. A chance to play, to prove to myself that I belonged. Sunderland gave me that, and then gave me so much more.'

He described the city as 'like nowhere else, proud, loyal, full of heart and so passionate,' and said playing at the Stadium of Light with the crowd behind him was 'a feeling I will chase for the rest of my life.'

He thanked fans for 'the passion, the loyalty, the noise week after week,' saying he would remember 'the heart and soul of our community' more than any statistics. He signed off by saying he arrived as 'a boy chasing a dream' and was leaving carrying the club and its supporters with him.

What Cirkin Must Prove To Earn QPR's Trust

For QPR, who have finished 18th and 11th in the past two Championship seasons, Cirkin brings 127 games of experience at 22 and a point to prove. His recovery pace, crossing accuracy and ability to play as an overlapping full-back fit Stéphan's system.

The question is not whether he can perform at this level. He has already done it. It is whether the wrist injury that cost him his Sunderland place has permanently altered his trajectory.

QPR have not commented on whether Cirkin will feature against Portsmouth, though sources suggest Stéphan sees him as a starter rather than a squad player. How quickly he can get up to speed after missing pre-season will shape how the move is viewed in the coming months.