Ole Romeny Joins Fortuna Sittard on Loan From Oxford | UK 2026

Key Points

• Loan Deal with Option to Buy: Oxford United striker Ole Romeny has officially joined Dutch Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard on a season-long loan contract that includes an optional permanent transfer clause.
• Return to the Netherlands: The 26-year-old Indonesia international returns to his country of birth just 18 months after arriving at Oxford United from FC Utrecht in January 2025.
• Difficult Spell in England: Romeny accumulated 32 total appearances across all competitions for the U’s, managing only a single goal as the club suffered relegation down to EFL League One.
• Second Departure Amid Crisis: The forward becomes the second high-profile player to leave the Kassam Stadium within a 48-hour window, directly following Nik Prelec’s departure to Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok.
• EFL Transfer Embargo: The player exodus comes immediately after Oxford United publicly confirmed they are operating under a strict English Football League (EFL) transfer embargo this summer.

Oxford (Oxford Daily) July 11, 2026 – In a significant mid-summer roster reshaping, Oxford United forward Ole Romeny has officially completed a temporary departure from the English club, sealing a return to the top tier of Dutch football by signing a season-long loan deal with Eredivisie outfit Fortuna Sittard. The comprehensive agreement between the two sides explicitly features an option for the Limburg-based team to purchase the striker on a permanent basis at the end of the 2026/2027 European football campaign. The transfer represents a swift return to domestic familiarity for the Nijmegen-born attacker, whose 18-month tenure in Oxfordshire was marred by injury setbacks, limited starting opportunities, and the team’s collective competitive slide, culminating in their recent relegation from the EFL Championship down to League One. Romeny’s exit marks the second senior player departure from the Kassam Stadium in a matter of days, unfolding against a highly turbulent institutional backdrop after Oxford United executives announced the club had been hit with a severe, restrictive EFL transfer embargo that will freeze incoming player registrations for the foreseeable future.

What are the Official Terms of Ole Romeny’s Move to Fortuna Sittard?

As formally verified in an official club statement published by the communications department of Oxford United Football Club, the English team confirmed that Ole Romeny has left the organisation to join Fortuna Sittard on a season-long loan with an explicit option to buy. The official statement from the League One outfit read:

“Oxford United can confirm Ole Romeny has left the Club to join Fortuna Sittard on a season-long loan with an option to buy. Across his time in Oxford, he made 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring once. Everyone at Oxford United would like to thank Ole for his contribution and wish him well in his future.”

The Dutch club simultaneously announced the acquisition to their fanbase, framing the 26-year-old striker as a primary attacking reinforcement for their upcoming league campaign. As reported on the official web portal of Fortuna Sittard, the technical department successfully finalized the paperwork after navigating international clearance protocols, officially handing Romeny the number 11 shirt for the 2026/2027 Eredivisie season.

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How Did Ole Romeny and Joris Mathijsen React to the Completed Transfer?

The Striker’s First Impressions

Upon completing the formal contract signings and passing his medical examinations, Romeny expressed intense enthusiasm regarding his professional return to the Netherlands. As reported by Malachi Obrey, the dedicated Oxford United reporter for the Oxford Mail, Romeny stated that:

“From the first moment it felt good. The confidence that the club expressed in me immediately gave me a positive feeling and played an important role in my choice. I’m really looking forward to being on the field, playing matches and showing myself.”

The forward further outlined his personal competitive ambitions for the season ahead in the Eredivisie. As further reported by Malachi Obrey of the Oxford Mail, Romeny declared:

“As a striker, I want to be decisive for the team, so I’m going to do everything I can to score a lot of goals here and experience great successes together.”

The Technical Director’s View

The acquisition was highly praised by Fortuna Sittard’s Technical Director, Joris Mathijsen, who revealed that the recruitment team had been tracking the striker for an extensive period. As reported by Malachi Obrey of the Oxford Mail, Joris Mathijsen stated that:

“We had been working on the arrival of Ole for quite some time, but due to the processing of his work permit, it took longer before we could complete the transfer. Ole is an attacking reinforcement that I know well from a previous collaboration. Since then, he has continued to develop and gain experience at both national and international level. Moreover, he has become international of Indonesia.”

Why Did the Indonesia International Struggle During His Time at Oxford United?

A Record Transfer Followed by Hardship

Romeny originally arrived at the Kassam Stadium during the January 2025 winter transfer window from Dutch club FC Utrecht. As reported by Oliver Marshall, senior correspondent for Oxford United News, Romeny joined Oxford United for a reported club-record signing fee, with the squad initially managing to secure survival in the EFL Championship under the managerial guidance of Gary Rowett during the latter half of that specific season.

However, his subsequent full season in English football proved deeply challenging. As reported by Oliver Marshall of Oxford United News, the 26-year-old’s game time became drastically limited during the last campaign, with the forward playing only 16 times in the domestic league—just two of which were from the starting lineup. Marshall attributed this sharp decline in minutes to recurring injury issues, including a significant leg fracture that required specialized surgery in the Netherlands, alongside a persistent struggle to break into the tactical plans of manager Matt Bloomfield.

Final Oxford Statistics

In total, across his 18 months under contract with the U’s, Romeny recorded 32 competitive appearances. His lone goal for the club came on March 1, 2025, in a narrow 3-2 defeat against Coventry City. Ultimately, his offensive contributions were insufficient to prevent Oxford United from finishing 22nd in the Championship table, resulting in relegation to League One.

What is Ole Romeny’s Background and International Career Path?

Club Career Origins

Born and raised in Nijmegen, Netherlands, Ole Lennard ter Haar Romenij began his youth development at local amateur club DVOL in Lent before joining the esteemed youth academy of NEC Nijmegen at the age of 11. He rose through the ranks to make his professional first-team debut in January 2018. His early career included a developmental loan spell at Willem II, followed by a highly successful permanent stint at FC Emmen, where he netted 13 goals in 45 league appearances, prompting a high-profile move to FC Utrecht in 2023.

Shifting Allegiances to Indonesia

Though Romeny represented the Netherlands at the U15, U18, and U19 youth international levels, his senior international career shifted dramatically due to his heritage. His maternal grandmother, though ethnically Dutch, was born in Medan, North Sumatra, during the pre-independence era of the Dutch East Indies. This lineage made Romeny fully eligible to represent the Southeast Asian nation.

In November 2024, Romeny officially met with Erick Thohir, the prominent Indonesian businessman, President of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), and current Minister of Youth and Sports. Romeny officially obtained his Indonesian citizenship on February 8, 2025. Following FIFA’s formal approval of his association change on February 20, 2025, Romeny made an immediate impact for the senior Indonesia national team. He scored on his international debut against Australia on March 20, 2025, and subsequently netted crucial match-winning goals against Bahrain and China during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.

How Does This Transfer Relate to Oxford United’s Current Club Crisis?

The Burden of the EFL Transfer Embargo

Romeny’s departure cannot be viewed in isolation from the severe institutional constraints currently strangling Oxford United. As reported by Malachi Obrey of the Oxford Mail, the club was hit with a temporary transfer ban by the EFL, which means the management is currently entirely unable to register any new players, including temporary loan signings and free-agent acquisitions, until the next registration window opens in January.

This embargo has severely limited manager Aaron Ramsey’s ability to reconstruct a squad capable of competing for an immediate promotion back to the Championship, forcing the football club to sanction departures to trim the wage bill without the luxury of signing immediate replacements.

A Rapid Double Player Exodus

Romeny represents the second major forward to leave Aaron Ramsey’s squad within a 48-hour window. His departure immediately followed that of fellow striker Nik Prelec, who left the club on Friday, July 10, 2026. As reported by Malachi Obrey of the Oxford Mail, Prelec departed the Kassam Stadium to join Polish top-flight side Jagiellonia Białystok on a permanent transfer deal.

With both Prelec and Romeny removed from the roster, and the EFL embargo blocking any incoming replacements, Oxford United’s attacking depth has been critically depleted, leaving Aaron Ramsey with an uphill battle as the club prepares for the rigours of the upcoming League One season.