Sels not an option for Anderlecht ... for now

TRANSFERS During the summer, Anderlecht decided not to renew Silvio Proto's contract. The experienced goalkeeper left for KV Oostende and the young Davy Roef (22) took his place in the Anderlecht goal. But after a handful of serious blunders, there are doubts about Roef.

Davy Roef is unmistakably talented. But the young goalkeeper has a, now and then, unstable defence in front of him. On top of that, Roef has made a handful of blunders which cost Anderlecht points in the league and the Europa League. It's not all bad though, since Roef also demonstrated a few excellent saves this season.

All in all, his performance wasn't enough to convince coach Weiler of his capacities. Weiler himself is also under pressure due to Anderlecht's average performance this season. So the coach decided to make drastic change: Roef was sent to the bench and second goalkeeper Frank Boeckx took his place. Yet Boeckx was brought to Anderlecht for the sole reason to be second goalkeeper. Being 30 years old, Boeckx is experienced. He served in Antwerp, STVV and AA Ghent. He's a solid goalie and physically strong player, but there are doubts whether he's good enough to win points for Anderlecht all by himself, like Proto demonstrated in the past.

The entire situation has caused Roef to think about his future. A few days ago, he complained about the lack of faith and asked his manager to look for a solution. It seems likely that Roef will be loaned (or sold) to another club; especially if coach Weiler stays in Anderlecht.

Chances are that the Belgian record champions will have to go look for another goalie in January. The first and most obvious option is Matz Sels. The former AA Ghent keeper left for Newcastle in June, but ended up on the bench. Sels is 24 years old and could be the perfect solution for Anderlecht. A loan would allow Sels to play in Brussels, while Roef can get more experienced elsewhere. Yet for now, Matz Sels is not interested. He prefers fighting for his place in Newcastle. Coach Benitez also indicated he still counts on Sels. His departure is not an option, but things can change quickly in football...