Robin Roefs has already spoken about his Sunderland future amid fresh transfer links with Tottenham
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Robin Roefs has already made clear that he is not thinking about a move away from Sunderland amid fresh reports linking him with Tottenham Hotspur.
According to several reports, Spurs have added the 23-year-old goalkeeper to their summer shortlist as they assess potential new options between the posts ahead of next season. However, it is said that Sunderland remain confident of keeping Roefs, who has quickly established himself as one of Régis Le Bris’ most important players.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable debut Premier League campaign after joining the Black Cats from NEC Nijmegen for an initial fee of around £9million plus add-ons, a deal that has since proven inspired despite the Dutchman being unknown to fans in England before the move.
Roefs had previously been linked with a £60million move to Chelsea following Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, when he was asked about the growing speculation around his future. The Dutchman responded calmly, making clear that outside noise was not something he was paying much attention to.
Asked about the recognition around his performances, Roefs said: “No, I don't really feel any way with it. I'm just really happy with the trust I get from the team, from the coach. I'm back, and everyone just supports me so well, and they're happy that I'm back. This is, for me, really important. Within the club, within the team, they appreciate me, and that's just really nice to have. What happens outside of that, I don't really feel any type of way about it.”
Roefs’ return against Tottenham was another significant moment in his season. The goalkeeper had missed several games after picking up an injury against Bournemouth earlier in the campaign, forcing him to watch from the sidelines during a key period. In his absence, Melker Ellborg stepped in and impressed, producing assured performances as Sunderland continued to pick up results. However, Roefs’ reinstatement underlined his status as the club’s first-choice option under Le Bris when fully fit.
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Roefs was also quizzed directly on reports linking him with a move away from the Stadium of Light, but again played down any suggestion that he was thinking about his future. “For me, it's not really time to think about these things like moving or any rumours,” he said. “As long as I don't know anything about it, I just keep on going. The way we are building here is just really, really amazing. I think being promoted and performing really well, I think we can only build on that. Let's hope next season we can continue like this.”
Those comments now carry renewed relevance amid Tottenham’s reported interest as the London club fight relegation. Reports claim that Spurs have identified Roefs as a strong candidate to become their number one, although Sunderland are expected to make any potential deal difficult. Spurs are also thought to be looking at Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen and Manchester City’s James Trafford as part of a wider search for a new goalkeeper, with Guglielmo Vicario expected to move on.