Bidvest Wits have secured the services of defender Thulani Hlatshwayo for the next three seasons, warding off the interest from Orlando Pirates.
This was confirmed by Wits CEO Jose Ferreira on Radio 702 and CapeTalk Radio on Sunday night.
Hlatshwayo appears to have signed an improved deal on top of the contract he already had with Wits. He signed a three-year deal in March 2018, meaning his contract was set to expire in June 2021.
Now, Hlatshwayo's new contract will come to an end in June 2022, meaning the Students are not willing to lose him to any team at this stage.
"Thulani signed a three-year contract extension. He's a keeper and we are happy to keep him for the next three seasons," confirmed Ferreira.
Hlatshwayo's decision to renew his contract with the Students comes a week after he told the media that he was looking for a new challenge.
He has been with the Braamfontein-based side since arriving from Ajax Cape Town in 2014.
The Soweto-born central defender was heavily linked with a possible move to the Buccaneers, and while Hlatshwayo previously admitted he grew up supporting the Soweto giants, chances of him realising the dream of playing for his childhood club looks minimal at this stage.
Pirates look very thin in defence after losing Marcelo Ciao and Marshall Munetsi at the end of last season.
As things stand, their preferred central pairing of Happy Jele and Alfred Ndengane hasn't really convinced the majority of Pirates fans, who feel the club should be doing more to get a quality centre-back.
However, they may need to dig deep into their pockets if they really want to sign Hlatshwayo although this could signal the end of their chase given the fact that Wits are not willing to sell any of their top players.
Hlatshwayo, who doubles as captain of Bafana Bafana, has featured four times for the Clever Boys this season and found the back the net once in the process.
The latest news should be a relief to his coach Gavin Hunt, who recently expressed suggested the South African transfer window should close before the start of the PSL season to allow players to focus on performing for their respective clubs without thinking about immediate futures once the season is underway.