A South African football giant is believed to have placed a substantial price tag on a player currently impressing abroad, with the midfielder's temporary employers now facing a significant financial decision to make his stay permanent.
Thembinkosi Lorch, who made a surprising loan move earlier this year, could command a transfer fee in the eight-figure range as his parent club, Mamelodi Sundowns look to profit from his successful stint in North Africa.
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Insiders close to the club and the player have indicated that Sundowns value their former Bafana Bafana midfielder highly and that's why they are looking at a substantial amount.
As previously reported by Soccer Laduma, Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca are interested in keeping Lorch after his loan deal at the end of the season. Now insiders privy to information have indicated that the Brazilians will be looking at between R15 million to R20m for him to stay in Morocco.
"It's believed that Sundowns have the price already for Lorch. Even before Wydad made it clear that they would like to keep him, Sundowns apparently had already calculated how much they would like to get if Lorch moved permanently and that's between R15m to R20m depending on the negotiations and other things. You know he still has two more years with Sundowns and that's why the price tag is like that. They will get more money than they paid to Orlando Pirates when they signed him. It makes good business sense at the end of the day," the source told Soccer Laduma.
Meanwhile a second source further stated that Wydad are willing to finalise the move before the Club World Cup in America in June.
"The games at the Club World Cup are starting on the 16th of June and it's believed that Wydad want to have Lorch as part of the squad that will travel to the tournament and that's why they are apparently working on it before it's too late. But they have at least to meet the minimum required transfer fee that Sundowns would ask for which is between R15m and R20m," the second source told the Siya crew.
Before moving to Morocco in January the former Bafana Bafana midfielder had played just a few games for Sundowns.
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This potential deal represents a fascinating business scenario for all parties involved. For Sundowns, turning a quick profit on a player who featured sparingly for them would validate their transfer strategy. For Wydad, securing Lorch permanently ahead of their Club World Cup appearance would strengthen their squad for the prestigious global tournament where they'll face some of football's elite clubs.
The coming weeks will prove decisive as negotiations intensify, with Lorch's own ambitions likely playing a crucial role in determining whether he returns to South Africa or continues his North African adventure with the continental giants.
Soccer Laduma contacted Sundowns for comment but the club had not responded by the time this report was published.
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