With the transfer window set to reopen in just over a month, Kaizer Chiefs are believed to be closing-in on one of their targets.
Chiefs have been chasing SuperSport United young defender Luke Fleurs for some time and the Siya crew has been led to believe that a deal could be concluded between the two clubs in the coming weeks.
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Soccer Laduma revealed in edition 1300 of the newspaper, available at your nearest outlet, that SuperSport have resigned themselves to losing Fleurs sooner or later and the two clubs are actually on the same page regarding a potential transfer.
Fleurs has entered the final year of his contract at Matsatsantsa, meaning he will be eligible to sign a pre-contract with a club of his choice in the January transfer window.
The 22-year old has struggled for game time this season under returning coach Gavin Hunt, with the centre-back pairing of Thulani Hlatshwayo and Thatayaone Ditlhokwe preferred by the former Chiefs coach.
Sources at both clubs have led the Siya crew to believe that there's a strong possibility a deal could be struck, given that Matsatsantsa would not want to lose Fleurs for free at the end of the season and are willing to sell the junior international at a cut-price.
And as a result, Chiefs have made Fleurs a priority signing, upping the ante in potentially sealing a deal ahead of the January transfer window.
Amakhosi would not want to find themselves in a similar situation they did with Siyethemba Sithebe after they reportedly agreed a pre-contract deal in principle with Sithebe while he was still contracted to AmaZulu in December 2021.
The move infuriated Usuthu President Sandile Zungu, who threatened to take legal action but ended up punishing Sithebe by excluding him from the playing squad for six months, before the dreadlocked midfielder eventually joined Amakhosi as a free agent.
Fleurs has not featured for SuperSport for the past seven matches and signing a pre-contract with the Glamour Boys could make matters worse, hence the Naturena-based side are eager to sign him outright in January.
The 22-year old's potential signing by Chiefs could also be a factor on whether Amakhosi extend veteran defender Eric Mathoho's contract or not at the end of the season.
As previously reported by the Siya crew, Mathoho is in the final months of his contract at the Glamour Boys and the club's hierarchy is yet to decide on whether or not they will keep 'Tower' beyond June 2023.
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