Kaizer Chiefs are believed to have taken a decision to hold off on contract talks with goalkeeper Brandon Petersen.
The former Bidvest Wits shot-stopper will enter the final year of his initial agreement with Amakhosi next season and if the club do not move quickly, then they would be in danger of losing the player on a free transfer.
According to insiders at Naturena, the call to delay discussions with Petersen isn't due to there being any doubts regarding the goalie's future, but the Glamour Boys seem currently pre-occupied with movements around a season review of the 2022/23 campaign that has just ended.
It's unclear at this stage whether coach Arthur Zwane will be staying or going, and Soccer Laduma last week reported there would be a crunch meeting at the headquarters with the mentor's position high up the agenda.
Chiefs have also recently announced the departure of long-serving defender Erick Mathoho and still need to confirm what happens to others who have contracts that are ending come June 30.
As a result, it may look as though Petersen is not a priority, but the pressing issue is understood to be players that might be leaving or renegotiating their terms – and one of them is Itumeleng Khune, who has been displaced as the first-choice goalkeeper by Petersen in recent months.
Of course, Petersen will not wait forever, so it remains to be seen how quickly the Soweto giants move in trying to tie him down before January 2024, when he is allowed to sign a pre-contract with another outfit.
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