It's now an open secret that gifted midfielder Rowan Human has been on the radar of both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, with Sekhukhune United and SuperSport United both throwing their names into the hat. Relegated Maritzburg United, his current club, now need to assess their options, and have to weigh up the offers on the table as the club recently exercised their option on the player's contract. As things stand, therefore, they are in full control of the situation. The interest in the 22-year-old comes as no surprise. Since moving to the Midlands-based side in 2021 'Mpho', as the player is affectionately known, has established himself as one of the most exciting midfielders in the PSL. With just a few weeks to go before the start of the 2023/24 season, the Siya crew looks at what holds for the in-demand star!
What The Siya Crew Has Been Told…
The latest news at Soccer Laduma's disposal is that Kaizer Chiefs have expressed their interest in luring the 22-year-old to Naturena and, as things stand, are in the lead when it comes to the chase to land the player's signature. It is not the first time the club has shown an eagerness to secure the services of the midfield sensation either. Following the sale of Bidvest Wits to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, the Soweto giants appointed Gavin Hunt, the man who gave Human his top-flight debut, as their head coach. The experienced coach was keen on bringing over a host of players from his Bidvest Wits side, although his new club were in the midst of a transfer ban at the time, meaning that Human's camp had to look for other options. This led to the youngster signing for Israeli Premier League giants Maccabi Tel- Aviv, who then loaned him out to Beitar Tel Aviv upon his arrival in the Holy Land. Insiders have revealed that while the Naturena-based outfit lead the race for the player's signature, they face stiff competition, as they are not the only team keen on his services. Hunt, now in charge of SuperSport United, whom he led to a third-place finish in the 2022/23 season, are also believed to have cast an eye on the Team of Choice man. While Matsatsantsa may not have the financial power of Chiefs, they do have a few players that they are willing to throw in as part of the deal with Maritzburg United. According to the information made available to this publication, Amakhosi, Super-Sport and most recently Sekhukhune United are still very keen on the player and are monitoring his situation closely. However, insiders have explained that the Soweto giants are leading the race with a high probability of Human playing his football under Molefi Ntseki, a coach under whom he worked in the junior national team ranks. But, as things stand, the KZN-based side will have the final say on the player. As reported by Soccer Laduma, the club exercised their one-year option on his existing contract, which is set to expire in June 2024. With the club suffering relegation, they are highly likely to cash in on their midfield star.
What Are The Facts?
On 12 June, the Team of Choice moved swiftly in exercising the option on Human's contract. The player penned a two-year deal in 2021, though that included an option to extend for a further year. Despite Maritzburg's struggles in the league last season, Human was a regular feature under now-departed coach Fadlu Davids, his 27 appearances in all competitions plus four more in the promotional play-offs indicative of that. In February this year, Davids tipped the Westbury-born youngster to succeed at the highest level.
"He has a huge potential, but it's a step-by-step to educate him and to help him understand his own strengths and weaknesses. To also hide those weaknesses by being in certain positions, by defending in a certain way. So, he will grow, he has a huge potential – but he should remain grounded, learn and absorb as much information as he can, and he will grow. I have no doubt that he can play on the highest level," he told journalists, at the time.
In addition to his talent displayed, the 22-year-old has the backing of an agency that has a proven track record when it comes to conducting some of the country's biggest deals both locally and internationally in Siyavuma Sports Group. Meaning that Human is in the best possible hands with his future up in the air. The first option for a talent of his calibre would be a move overseas. While there have been informal talks about a potential move abroad, there has been nothing concrete in terms of offers internationally. When he moved abroad, he was only 19 years old at the time. However, Human has grown tremendously since then and is not the young player who left Sturrock Park two years ago.
The Story Behind The Scenes
Chiefs Going All Out
With the Glamour Boys desperately in search of silverware, having last won a trophy eight years ago, they have shown through their latest signings a desire to get back to their best. Human's signing ticks both present and future boxes for the club given that he is only 22. However, he already has three years of topflight experience under his belt plus a stint abroad, which proves that he is no rookie. The Soweto giants have worked hard to debunk the recent myth that they are reluctant to fork out transfer fees for their targets. Under the leadership of Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jnr, they have shown that they are willing to spend a transfer fee for a player who fits the club's ambitions as in the case of TS Galaxy captain Given Msimango and Cape Town City talisman Mduduzi Mdantsane. It is highly likely then that Amakhosi will be willing to meet Maritzburg's asking price for Human.
Maritzburg's Tricky Situation
The Pietermaritzburg outfit brought an end to a 10- year stay in the topflight when they suffered relegation via the play-offs at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Their demise met with some choice words by club chairman Farook Kadodia. Given that they are now a Motsepe Foundation Championship outfit, Maritzburg have to be realistic in their evaluation of the player and are unlikely to demand exorbitant amounts for Human. The player has a year left on his contract and is unlikely to ply his trade in the second tier, meaning that the Team of Choice could cash in on the player to risk losing him on a free in January, where he would be able to sign a pre-contract with a team of his choice.
European Move A Possibility?
Still only 22, a move overseas for Human cannot be ruled out completely at this stage, although it is highly unlikely. Despite being backed by an agency who are leaders in terms of overseas deals, there has been nothing concrete on the table in terms of offers, meaning that a potential move to Europe could be on the backburner for now. At this stage of his career, playing regular football is a necessity for the midfielder. Having played in Europe already, he could explore the option of going abroad in a season or two.
SuperSport And Sekhukhune Watch On…
Matsatsantsa have shown that they could provide a perfect opportunity for young players to flourish. Grant Margeman and Siphesihle Ndlovu rediscovered their touch at the club this past season, which led to a permanent move for Ndlovu. Meanwhile, Patrick Maswanganyi earned himself a move to Orlando Pirates after just one season, proving that the club, under the tutelage of a coach in Hunt who knows him well, could be the perfect breeding ground for Human. Sekhukhune, on the other hand, have proven they are more than capable of competing financially with some of their more esteemed counterparts in competing for players. They are also a team that has shown their ambition by reaching the Nedbank Cup final in just their second top-flight season, and any player would love to be part of such a team. The chances of Human joining are slim, however, although Babina Noko will be watching with keen interest.
What His Agent Is Saying…
The Siya crew got in touch with the player's agent, Paul Mitchell – Managing Director of Siyavuma Sports Group, as he explains Human's current situation and what his future might be looking like.
"We're looking at all options for Rowan Human. Obviously, he is still under contract with Maritzburg, so wherever he goes there will be a deal to be done with Maritz-burg, whether it is a transfer fee or suchlike. We've got a lot of local interest, which is exciting for the young man. Our first base is always to look at the overseas market, that is currently ongoing. It's not always easy in the current climate, but we are looking into that.
"The biggest thing for Rowan now is to get the next move right. He's been developing very well and is doing very well as we have seen at the COSAFA Cup, hitting a rich vein of form towards the end of the season with Maritzburg. Unfortunately, they weren't able to survive during the play-offs, which has been really disappointing for the club.
"Now the dust is settling and they are regrouping and have recharged their batteries for the Motsepe Foundation Championship, Rowan fits into the category of player that will move to the topflight or overseas and we're currently looking at those options and we are hoping in the next two or three weeks, we'll be able to put Rowan with his new club, where he will keep developing and remain grounded and keep doing what he is doing.
"He is a top young player and he's proven that over the last couple of years and he can only get better and better."
Watch This Space
In the current landscape, what we have been told and what Siya sources are indicating is that all of Chiefs, SuperSport and Sekhukhune are aware of Human's situation, although the Soweto giants are ahead of their rivals in the race for the youngster. A move to Babina Noko, at this stage, is slim. Therefore, the most likelihood of a transfer would be either to Naturena or to Tshwane. Insiders have informed Soccer Laduma that both Amakhosi and Matsatsantsa have held informal talks with Kadodia, which does imply that there could be something in the pipeline. The burning question is, however, whether any of the two clubs is the better option for Human at this stage in his career, with young South African footballers often encouraged to move overseas as soon as possible in order to grow their game and ultimately the national team in the long run. Human does have a running contract, which is set to expire in June 2024, putting Maritzburg firmly in the driving seat of the situation. The scenario will change within a matter of months, however, with the player entering into the final six months of the deal. The Team of Choice may look to cash in on their star attacker now rather than losing him on a free later.
