The Black Cats are one of the best teams in European football so far. But a few months ago, there was a shake in the transfer market involving two goalkeepers for the Premier League side, Marcin Bulka and Robin Roefs.
Robin Roefs has become one of the best Suderland players in his first season with the club. With elite performances, the Dutch keeper has established himself as a force to be recognised by the league.
Le Bris brought Roefs from NEC Nijmegen as a solution for an important issue in the net, and he has excelled, delivering top-five performance with important saves, clean sheets, and making Sunderland able to fight with the Big Six.
However, there is a lesson to be learned for the Black Cats about this, and it is that sometimes the best things come when you least expect them.
Even though Roefs has been a key figure for Sunderland, he was not the first option for the club, which offered a contract to another keeper, and it was pretty close to being signed to defend the Stadium of Light net for the Black Cats.
Who was the almost signing that led Robin Roefs to succeed at Sunderland?
Polish international goalkeeper, Marcin Bulka, was the main target for Sunderland’s Sporting Director, but even though other competitors were trying to sign him, there was one that stood out from the rest by far.
“If there were any other offers, I might consider them. I had an offer from Sunderland. There were talks with Milan and Galatasaray. They said there would be no transfer if Maignan didn’t leave,” he said to SportWitness.
The Saudi Pro League has emerged as a recent strong competitor for any signing in every transfer window, especially when the PIF-funded clubs look for new players, and their economy is wealthier than most teams in the world.
“But I couldn’t wait. They told me in Saudi Arabia: ‘Marcin, you’re our No.1, but in three days, 10 goalkeepers could come here for half that amount’. That’s how it is. In football, what’s certain today is gone tomorrow. I wanted to stay in Nice and fulfil my contract there. It was one of many options”, he added.
“It’s good that it didn’t happen, because now I’m injured and life could have turned out differently. At my current club, I earn over 12 times more than at Nice. And I’m not saying I didn’t earn much in France”, Bulka concluded.
After Bulka was snubbed by the Saudi league, Sunderland was able to land Roefs for only €10 millon, arriving first as a consolation prize, but now becoming a fan-favourite at the Stadium of Light every single match.
