Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs is reportedly a transfer target for Chelsea.

Ex-Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has claimed that selling Robin Roefs this summer would represent a “huge loss” to Regis Le Bris’ squad.

The Dutchman has shone since arriving on Wearside last year, and has repeatedly been linked with a prospective transfer to Champions League outfit Chelsea in recent weeks, with a fee of around £50 million touted.

Any such agreement would secure a notable profit for the Black Cats, but given how well he has adapted to life on Wearside, Phillips has suggested that it would be a shame to see the Dutchman leave.

What has Kevin Phillips said about Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs?

Speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of BestBettingSites, he said: “It’d be a huge loss. He’s been one of the standout players this season. Since he’s been at the football club, he’s been a revelation, really. It was a big gamble bringing him after getting promoted, and to put him straight in, he had to perform. And he showed every Sunderland fan that he’s more than capable of doing that.

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“He’s a wonderful goalkeeper. If Sunderland really want to push on and really try and get better and better from the season they’ve had, they need to keep players like that. So Roefs would be a huge loss. No surprise that he’s linked with big clubs, but Sunderland will fight to keep him at the football club because he’s been brilliant, he’s got everything, he’s good on the floor, he’s a good shot stopper, very calm, good at crosses. He’s a gem, and he’s still young; he’s still a very young goalkeeper. It’d be a huge loss.”

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