Sunderland ‘confident’ of Robin Roefs staying put despite Tottenham plan for deal
Sunderland are “confident” of keeping goalkeeper Robin Roefs despite Tottenham Hotspur adding him to their summer shortlist, sources have told Football Insider.
The Black Cats have fielded interest in their first-choice stopper in recent months, and Spurs are the latest member of the Premier League elite to join the race to sign him ahead of next season.
The Lilywhites have earmarked the 23-year-old as a strong candidate to become their number one for next season, but sources say that Sunderland are set to make it difficult for them to strike a deal.
Regis Le Bris’ side have made strong progress on the pitch this season, and their hope is that their long-term project will convince Roefs that he is in the right place for his development.
Tottenham’s interest in Roefs comes as part of their bid to find a new goalkeeper for next term, but they are expecting it to be difficult to tempt him into a move without the offer of European football.
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Who else is on Tottenham’s goalkeeping shortlist?
Football Insider revealed Tottenham’s interest in Roefs on Monday, as they have become the latest club to earmark him as an ideal target.
The North Londoners are well aware that any remote chance of landing the Dutchman this summer will evaporate if they are relegated from the Premier League, but they gave their hopes of survival a huge boost by winning at Aston Villa last time out.
Roberto De Zerbi and Co. are looking to revamp their options between the posts with Guglielmo Vicario on his way out, and they have a number of top-flight glovemen on their radar at the moment.
Tottenham have considered both Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen and Manchester City’s James Trafford in recent weeks, while Roefs has now become the latest to join their list.
The position has been unsettled for Spurs this season, and has been one of the many problems that they faced in the squad amid what has been a dismal campaign in the league.
Roefs would provide a strong and highly-rated option to act as the last line of their defence next term, but any attempts to sign him are set to meet resistance from Wearside.
Tottenham eyeing discounted Joao Palhinha deal
Football Insider revealed last weekend that Tottenham want to re-negotiate their purchase clause for Joao Palhinha before making an attempt to sign him permanently this summer.
The Portuguese arrived on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich last summer, with the option for that move to be turned permanent for £25million included as part of the initial deal.
The 30-year-old has been in and out of the team throughout the campaign, but returned to start in the crucial victory over Aston Villa last weekend.
Tottenham remain interested in the idea of keeping him long-term, but they will only act on that interest if Bayern are willing to sanction a reduction in that £25m agreement.
The Lilywhites are expected to try and enter negotiations with the German giants in the coming weeks, but it will need co-operation from both parties if a fresh deal is to be struck.
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