Andile Jali transfer update issued: Bad news for Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates?

• Jali has been linked with a Sundowns exit
• Reigning PSL champions haven’t given him a new deal
• Chiefs, Pirates named as potential destinations

WHAT HAPPENED? Jali’s agent Mike Makaab has issued an update on the midfielder’s future, and insisted that he and his client are still hopeful that Mamelodi Sundowns will offer the veteran a new contract.

Jali has been linked with a January exit, with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates both linked with a swoop for the ex-Buccaneers man.

As things stand, the 32-year-old’s contract comes to an end at the season’s end, creating considerable uncertainty…and potentially some opportunity.

WHAT WAS SAID: “At the moment we are involved in negotiations with Sundowns and again I’m going to say this, we hope we can conclude these negotiations sooner than later,” Makaab told KwaZulu-Natal-based radio station Gagasi FM, as per Times LIVE, “but we can only push this as quickly as we can without it being pushed to a point where it’s not natural.

“I’ve said before that the best deals are those that unfold naturally and I think this one will unfold naturally, whichever way it goes.”

AND WHAT MORE? Makaab’s words continue to reveal some measure of discontent in Jali’s camp that a new deal has not been offered by Sundowns, particularly considering the midfielder’s excellent form in recent matches.

The agent also hints at some frustration, and the revelation that he’s concerned that pushing Sundowns too hard might become ‘unnatural’ suggests that he isn’t entirely closing the door to an unlikely January exit to Pirates or Chiefs.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Both Soweto giants would benefit from Jali’s presence in the heart of the park for different reasons, with Chiefs in particular, struggling for control following the exit of Njabulo Blom.

WHAT NEXT FOR JALI? With the hours ticking by until the window closes, it’s appearing increasingly unlikely that Jali will depart Sundowns for a fee in January.

However, Makaab’s words could be seen as a clear indication that there’s an opening and an opportunity for either of the two PSL giants to test the Brazilians’ hand with a late deadline-day swoop.