Ajax forced to abandon move for Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs over €10m fee

Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs continues to justify his move to the Stadium of Light, with fresh insight now emerging into why Ajax ultimately walked away from signing him last summer.

Roefs has enjoyed an impressive first half of the season under head coach Régis Le Bris, establishing himself as Sunderland’s first-choice goalkeeper following his arrival from NEC Nijmegen in August.

The 22-year-old has recorded seven clean sheets and conceded 23 goals across 22 Premier League appearances, performances that have quickly elevated his reputation both in England and back in the Netherlands.

Roefs’ rise has prompted questions in Dutch football circles, particularly around why Ajax and PSV Eindhoven failed to secure his signature before Sunderland stepped in. Pundit Johan Derksen has been among those critical of the missed opportunity.

Ajax had made initial enquiries for Roefs during his time at NEC, with reports in the Dutch media at the time suggesting a potential €6m deal. Those claims were strongly denied by NEC chief executive Wilco van Schaik, who branded them “false reporting”.

Sunderland eventually completed the deal for a club-record €10.5m.

Speaking on the Dutch Kick-Off podcast, De Telegraaf journalist Mike Verweij has now detailed why Ajax abandoned their pursuit, comments relayed by Voetbal Primeur.

Verweij insisted the Amsterdam club were priced out early in discussions and were left with no realistic option to proceed.

“Ajax enquired about Roefs. Then NEC said: ‘We want €10m.’ They immediately added that Marcel Boekhoorn probably wanted much more,” Verweij explained. “That was simply too much for Ajax. So they were forced to cancel the deal.”

He added that while hindsight makes the decision look questionable, the financial demands at the time were deemed excessive.

“When you see him play now, you think: they should have done it. Those are decisions made in the moment. NEC was simply too high up for Ajax.”

Roefs’ strong start in England has already been rewarded with international recognition. He received a call-up from Netherlands national football team head coach Ronald Koeman in September, although he is yet to make his senior debut.

Once that milestone arrives, scrutiny of Ajax’s decision is likely to intensify further. A €10m fee would have been within Ajax’s broader financial capability, which has led some observers to question the robustness of Verweij’s defence.

Roefs remains focused on his development at Sunderland, where he has quickly become a central figure in Le Bris’ system. Continued performances at Premier League level could accelerate his international progression — and ensure that Ajax’s decision to walk away remains a talking point in the Netherlands for some time to come.

Did Ajax make a costly mistake by walking away from Robin Roefs — or was Sunderland’s €10.5m fee simply too big a risk at the time?