It was no secret that Kaizer Chiefs wanted 21-year-old Asanele Velebayi in the winter transfer window.
This January, they could get their man.
The Cape Town Spurs winger has long caught the attention of AmaKhosi management, which has had several bids rejected.
According to reports, the Chiefs weren’t willing to match the R12 million asking price; in fact, they offered the Mother City club half of that, which they swiftly declined.
Will Kaizer Chiefs capitalise on recent form
You have to remember that the Chiefs low-ball figure came at a time of uncertainty—they had just finished tenth in the league and parted ways with former coach Cavin Johnson.
So, the thought of forking out for Spurs’ evaluation must have felt like a risk they weren’t willing to take; they had endured too much uncertainty.
Now, under Nasreddine Nabi, they’re firing on all cylinders.
The team’s optimism about ending its 10-year trophy drought has heightened, so when it comes to signing a player of this stature, it should strike while the iron is hot.
Why not add additional star power while you’re in the hunt for a title and on the up from what has been a disastrous decade for the Chiefs?
Velebayi could be the key to unlocking their full potential and challenging Mamelodi Sundowns stronghold on South African soccer.
The AmaKhosi faithful dream of being back at the top – this could be their moment, but they have to put some money on the line.
News from Velebayi’s agent
Lance Davids, Velebayi’s agent, shared some insight on Chiefs negotiations, telling SABC, “Of course, there was a lot of back and forth – Chiefs put in an offer, and the value was too low for Cape Town Spurs,” he explained.
“Chiefs came back with a second offer and gave, in my opinion, a valuation that was very fair with add-ons, and they also didn’t accept that. They thought the valuation was low, and then they stopped just there.
“In my opinion, I thought the valuation that Cape Town Spurs was looking at for Velebayi, compared to Oswin Appollis, it’s a no-brainer – you can’t compare [the two players’ value]. At this point, what did Oswin achieved in the last year?
“So I think the valuation of Velebayi was crazy; I think Chiefs, to be honest, was very fair on their proposal and, in my opinion, they could have still add some more add-ons.
“Of course, they did not because they thought they were also fair on their proposal, and the deal fell through… I’ll be honest, at first Cape Town Spurs wanted R12 million, they came down to R10 million, and Chiefs’ offer was R5 million plus players.”
Do you think Kaizer Chiefs should buy Velabayi?
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