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Sunderland signed Robin Roefs from NEC Nijmegen this summer
In amongst a hectic summer transfer window during which 14 new faces arrived on Wearside, Robin Roefs may already have proven himself to be one Sunderland’s most astute pieces of business.
The Dutchman arrived from NEC Nijmegen in a deal worth around £11.5 million in total, and was immediately promoted to Regis Le Bris’ first choice between the sticks, displacing promotion-winning hero Anthony Patterson.
Since then, he has proven himself to be a hugely promising presence, keeping a number of clean sheets and making several eye-catching saves that have endeared him to both supporters and pundits alike.
And while Nijmegen were no doubt sad to see such an assured talent leave, it increasingly looks to be a deal that will benefits all parties for a while to come - especially following the latest comments from the Dutch club’s general manager Wilco van Schaik
What has been said about Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs?
Speaking to ESPN NL’s Goedemorgen Eredivisieis, as relayed by Voetbal Primeur, Van Schaik has revealed that the agreement which brought Roefs to England also included a sell-on clause and a number of achievable bonuses.
When asked if the initial package for Roefs could be worth even more if and when he comes to leave Sunderland, Van Schaik responded: “Yes, that’s also a plus. That’s very nice. It’s obviously impossible what we received for Roefs, but these are the amounts we’re going to trade for.”
It is understood that one of the potential bonuses folded into the Roefs deal will be triggered if Sunderland avoid relegation this season - an outcome that Van Schaik is seemingly confident will come to fruition, jokingly explaining: “I’ve already spent half of that.”
What has Regis Le Bris said about Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs?
Speaking after Roefs’ starring role against Crystal Palace back in September, head coach Le Bris was quick to hail his impact at the Stadium of Light. He said: “I think we need players at that level in the Premier League, otherwise we won't exist. So for me it's not a surprise, I'm really pleased and happy with his performance, of course. But not surprised, and I'm sure he will have other performances like that.
“Thanks to the team too, because to make these saves you need defenders, you need the block, you need to make it hard for the opponent, and when you are a goalkeeper you have to make the final save.
“Probably because he's young he will improve many things, I hope so. He's really composed, really calm, he understands the game really well. I think his technical and physical attributes, the way he understands the game, the way he can anticipate, the way he can connect with his teammates is really impressive. So for me it's not a surprise, but I'm happy with his performance.”
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