Talks underway! Kaizer Chiefs in negotiation to tie top star to long-term contract amid impressive consistency

Since Itumeleng Khune left Kaizer Chiefs, the Premier Soccer League giants have struggled to get an able replacement.

After the legendary star's exit, the Glamour Boys scoured the market and signed Rwanda international Fiacre Ntwari. The former TS Galaxy star struggled to impose himself as the number one choice and is currently below Brandon Petersen and Bruce Bvuma in the pecking order.

Among the three, Petersen has earned the coaches' trust, and he has reciprocated that with impressive performances.

The 32-year-old has played 26 games, kept 15 clean sheets, and conceded 16 goals across all competitions.

Now, the Soweto giants are keen to keep their goalkeeper for longer by extending his deal, according to SABC Sports.

"SABC Sport has established that Kaizer Chiefs have begun talks to offer captain Brandon Petersen a fresh long-term contract, as the club moves to secure one of their most consistent performers," the public broadcaster announced.

"The public broadcaster understands that there is no immediate desire from the player’s camp to seek a move elsewhere, with Petersen settled in his leadership role and highly valued within the setup at Naturena.

"Chiefs are keen to reward that loyalty and form by securing his long-term future, with early negotiations aimed at finalising improved personal terms," the statement concluded.

There has been a consistent push by the former Chiefs stars for the club to extend Petersen's contract. Among them is Doctor Khumalo, who believes the goalkeeper's performance is why the club is where it is on PSL standings.

“I think it’s a good thing for him to get a new contract. Because he’s been outstanding, he’s been doing very well irrespective of the results that happened in Cairo," Khumalo argued.

“But, overall, he went a couple of games without conceding, and probably that’s the reason why we see Kaizer Chiefs third or fourth on the log. I thought Brandon did very, very well there. Actually, he has done very well so far," the South African legend opined.

One of the people who has been keenly following Petersen's performance is Khune himself, who is impressed by how the custodian is performing.

“Being a leader of the team comes with a huge responsibility, and I’m happy that Brandon Petersen has taken his game to a whole different level; he’s been carrying the team and the players,” Khune said.

“It shows with his performances, and I’m proud of him. I need to say he needs to keep up the good work. It’s very pleasing to see how the team has improved [defensively] under Coach Kaze and Ben Youssef.  

“I’m happy to see Brandon inspiring the team to keep more clean sheets, and obviously that wouldn’t be possible without his defence, so I’m happy to see the improvement in the team," he added.

After the Nedbank Cup and CAF Confederation Cup elimination, the challenge for Petersen and his teammates is to push for the PSL title. Otherwise, they are in danger of completing the season without a trophy.