Sparta Rotterdam, seeking a new first-choice goalkeeper after Joël Drommel's loan period ended and he returned to PSV, has submitted an offer for Excelsior's Stijn van Gassel. According to reports from ESPN and transfer journalist Mounir Boualin, Excelsior has firmly rejected the bid. The opening offer for the 29-year-old Dutch goalkeeper, who was named Excelsior's Player of the Year last season, was reportedly around 800,000 euros. Excelsior and Sparta are set to face each other in a match on Saturday. After the previous season, Van Gassel had told VoetbalPrimeur that he was open to a new challenge, explaining that he signed his two-year contract with the goal of making a step up and would consider a move if the right club came along. Van Gassel joined Excelsior in July 2025 and has a current Transfermarkt market value of €1.00m.