After initially showing interest in signing former Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic, SuperSport United had then put the move on hold and signed Ethiopian player Abubeker Nasir.
Many attributed this to a potentially hefty fee associated with SuperSport having to sign the Serbian. However, a few weeks later, Matsatsantsa officially did sign Nurkovic, so how did the situation resolve itself?
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Now, Siya sources close to the club have indicated that they reached a compromise with the striker as both parties "needed each other".
The sources added that United agreed to a deal with lesser terms than what Nurkovic was previously seeking, and since he was happy with that arrangement, then the deal finally happened.
"Yes, the initial issue was the money. The club felt like the money that the player's party was looking at was a bit stiff but the negotiations never stopped and that's why at the end of the day they reached an amicable solution which was tangible to both parties. Remember there are two or three things that the player comes with. First and foremost he is a foreigner and there are standards the team has to meet," said the Siya source.
"Secondly, he is a former Kaizer Chiefs player and his profile is big, and lastly, he is a proven goalscorer and the team needs him. All these things had to be considered and the fact that he is a free agent, the signing on fee becomes a bit different from a player that you are buying and those were the things both parties had to look at and finally they reached a compromise which is good for both parties. But yes, the financial details are what almost killed the deal," the source added.
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A second insider stated that the signings of Vincent Pule from Orlando Pirates and Nasir from Sundowns were also factors the club considered financially.
"They already had two high profile players who are earning well and adding a third high-earning player could clip the club's finances so they had to renegotiate and negotiate for a good signing on fee and salary as well. That happened hence the agreement at the end. It's good the player's representatives and the player himself understood the situation and they were flexible and relaxed about the whole thing. It's a win-win situation as things stand," the second source stated.
The 32-year-old Serbian was last season with TS Galaxy, where he had reignited his PSL career. Now, he is expected to fill the gap currently left by the injury to Bradley Grobler at SuperSport.
Soccer Laduma contacted SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews for a comment, but there was no response at the time of publishing.
