Chelsea and Liverpool are reportedly showing ‘extensive interest’ in signing Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs, as per Football Insider.
After being impressed by the 23-year-old’s performances for Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen, the Black Cats decided to secure his service ahead of this campaign.
The Dutchman has shown glimpses of his qualities in the Premier League thus far this season, keeping eight clean sheets with 75% save rate in 24 appearances.
He has been helping Sunderland to push for a European place finish in the Premier League, sitting only three points behind sixth-placed Liverpool.
Now, Football Insider state that having been attracted by the youngster’s performances, Liverpool and Chelsea have started showing ‘extensive interest’ in signing Roefs.
Moreover, Manchester City are in this race as well, and Sunderland are aware of the growing interest in their star man from the Premier League’s elite clubs.
They are even expecting that Liverpool or Chelsea could make a formal proposal worth more than £50m to sign Roefs next summer. As a result, they have already signed Melker Ellborg from Malmo in the winter window as a potential replacement for Roefs.
Battle
Liverpool currently have Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili as goalkeeping options. So, the Reds don’t need to invest more to add further depth to this position.
On the other hand, Chelsea currently have Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen as goalkeeper options. However, the Spaniard has struggled to showcase consistency, making several high-profile errors.
Jorgensen, meanwhile, has struggled to find regular game time; as a result, he is said to be ready to leave. So, Chelsea could do with signing a new goalkeeper.
Roefs, standing at 6ft 4in tall, is a highly talented Premier League-proven player and possesses the potential to reach the top. He is an excellent shot-stopper, is comfortable with possession, good in the air, and can play the sweeper-keeper role.
The Dutchman would be a shrewd acquisition for Chelsea or Liverpool should either club purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the West London club or the Merseyside club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services in the summer.
