Khalil Ben Youssef lays down five player transfer blueprint for Kaizer Chiefs - 'They must be from the top division and ready to play'

In a candid assessment of the current squad, Khalil Ben Youssef highlighted exactly where Kaizer Chiefs are falling short on the pitch.

According to the former co-coach, the gaps in the starting XI are significant enough that only a specific type of recruitment will bridge the divide between themselves and the heavyweights of the Premier Soccer League.

Speaking to Andile Ncube on Sports Amplified, Ben Youssef was clinical in his breakdown of the team's needs.

"The team needs one left winger, one midfielder, one left full-back, one goalkeeper and one centre back," he stated.

He further explained that the goalkeeping recruit should serve a specific purpose: "The ‘keeper is to support Bruce [Bvuma] and Brandon [Petersen]."

The Tunisian coach did not just list positions; he set a high bar for the quality of personnel required to wear the famous gold and black jersey.

For Ben Youssef, the era of projects and developmental signings must end if the club intends to challenge for the PSL immediately.

"The other four players must be top players ready to play immediately. They must not have injuries or not be playing," Ben Youssef argued.

"They must be from the top division and ready to play if we want to compete to win the PSL.

"Otherwise they [Chiefs] can continue the same, bringing in players without experience, and you continue to build step by step, and you take your time to be ready to compete."

Reflecting on his tenure alongside Cedric Kaze, he suggested that expectations at Naturena are often disconnected from the reality of the squad's current capabilities.

He believes that without an influx of established stars, the club will continue to struggle against the dominance of Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

"Some people had a problem between realism and ambition," Ben Youssef admitted.

"The ambition is to win everything, but you have to be realistic. With the squad Chiefs had this season or last season, the maximum you can achieve is top four.

" If you compare the quality between us and Sundowns and Pirates, there is a huge gap."

To illustrate his point regarding the quality gap, Ben Youssef pointed toward the national team selection as a barometer for success.

He noted that while their rivals dominate the Bafana Bafana setup, Chiefs are currently underrepresented at the highest level of international football in South Africa.

"You can see Bafana. 30-40 percent are Sundowns and 30-40 percent are Pirates. 20 percent are other teams. Chiefs have one player [Bradley Cross], and he is only on the bench," he observed.

"When you find Bafana with five or six Chiefs players starting games, then you know the team is ready to compete and win the league."

When asked about the signing of Thabo Moloisane and the future under heavily-linked Fernando Da Cruz, he remained tight-lipped, adding, "I swear I don’t know [who will take over]."