Jeremy Brockie was once one of the most deadly strikers in the PSL but he finds himself without a team after being released by Maritzburg United.
This was because of his struggles for form following a season-long loan at the Team of Choice from Mamelodi Sundowns.
Brockie could only manage a single goal and assist for Eric Tinkler's men in 15 matches across all competitions.
His struggles didn't start at Maritzburg but at Sundowns, where he only scored twice in 32 competitive matches before falling out of favour under Pitso Mosimane.
The lanky marksman has reunited with his family in Australia after spending the duration of the lockdown due to the coronavirus in South Africa.
According to Maritzburg United chairman Farook Kadodia, the technical team couldn't guarantee Brockie game time in the remaining matches of the suspended season.
Perhaps, the reason being he had not really found his feet and contributed little to the club's success thus far.
In addition, his loan contract with the Team of Choice was set to expire at the end of June - but due to the coronavirus, Brockie was going to be with the club until the end of the campaign - whenever that is concluded.
Now, what's next for Brockie?
A number of PSL teams are expected to line-up for Brockie's signature, especially as they can sign him on a free transfer.
Sundowns have already made it clear that they will not exercise the option they have on Brockie's current contract which also expires at the end of June.
Return to SuperSport United
Backpagepix/Goal
SuperSport United are the frontrunners to the re-sign Brockie ahead of the start of the 2020/21 campaign.
Both the management and technical team have indicated that Brockie is more than welcome to the return to the club.
However, Matsatsantsa have a number of top strikers at the moment including Thamsanqa Gabuza, Bradley Grobler and Evans Rusike.
This means Brockie wouldn't just walk straight into the line-up because of his impressive background with the club; he will have to work hard to be a regular again in Kaitano Tembo's team.
The departure of Thabo Mnyamane could be enough for the club to consider bringing the New Zealand international back.
Furthermore, SuperSport United are likely to cash in on some of their players who are reported to be on the radar of both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns thus make room for Brockie to rejoin the club.
Grobler and Aubrey Modiba are the two players that could eventually leave if the Tshwane giants decide to sell in order to balance their financial books.
Pirates to join the race?
Backpagepix/Goal
In 2018, Orlando Pirates were in the market for a striker, and Brockie's name was bandied about as he also wanted a change of environment after spending years with Matsatsantsa.
If the Sea Robbers are looking for a centre-forward now, this could be their best chance to get Brockie.
But his recent form could be a stumbling block because, at Pirates, he would be expected to hit the ground running.
Pirates could lose Justin Shonga who hasn't seen too much game time this season and hasn't been scoring goals.
They have had to rely solely on Gabadinho Mhango for goals this season, and they may need to add more firepower up front to increase competition among the current strikers.
However, this may not be the best move for Brockie - he should consider going where he would be appreciated more and be given enough to settle down and rediscover his old form, and Pirates cannot offer him at this point.
Chiefs to the rescue?
Backpagepix/Goal
Kaizer Chiefs are still waiting to see if they will be allowed to sign players after the two-window transfer ban imposed by Fifa in February.
They have written to Fifa's Appeal Committee to at least suspend the ban until their hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) because they already have players they are targeting and want to reinforce their current squad.
Nonetheless, with Leonardo Castro recently renewing his contract by a further two years, and Samir Nurkovic the club's leading goalscorer, Brockie doesn't seem to have a place in Ernst Middendorp's team at this stage.
There is also attacking players such as Khama Billiat and Dumisani Zuma, and if Brockie was to consider moving to Chiefs, then chances are that he would be committing career suicide by going to a club with lots of options in the attacking department.
For now, the best option is for Brockie to return to Matsatsantsa and if that doesn't materialise, perhaps going back to New Zealand or settling for a club in Australia would help revive his career because he's not a youngster anymore but a veteran at 32 years of age.
