With the January transfer window underway, Orlando Pirates may be close to finalizing negotiations for a Polokwane City duo, Thabang Matuludi and Oswin Appollis.
The deal is expected to include a player moving from Pirates to City along with a monetary component.
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As previously reported by Soccer Laduma, Polokwane City initially considered wanting Katlego Otladisa in the deal. However, since he is expected to join Sekhukhune United on loan, it is now believed that Phillip Ndlondlo could be the player involved.
A high-level Siya source added that the negotiations are at a very advanced stage, and the deal could be finalized soon.
"You remember about the loose ends still to be tied and discussed? One of those is that Polokwane City want to have a player and money from Pirates. The initial player that they wanted was Katlego Otladisa and since that didn't work out then they are believed to have asked for Phillip Ndlondlo as the player who could be involved in this deal. So, as we speak now that's what both teams are looking at and things could be done sooner than expected," the Siya source stated.
A second insider mentioned that involving Ndlondlo would alter the financial aspects of the deal, potentially exceeding the initial R15 million evaluation.
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"This changes the dynamics of the whole deal. You know if it was Otladisa involved they were looking at a player and R15 million for both Appollis and Matuludi but now that they are apparently talking about Ndlondlo it changes everything in terms of how much Pirates would be expected to pay to get the two players. So, they are looking at that now," the second source observed.
Ndlondlo, 29, joined Pirates on registration deadline in 2022 and was a regular player in his first two seasons, participating in many games each season. In this campaign he has hardly featured. Soccer Laduma reached out to City's Chief Operations Officer, Tincy Tema for comment, but received no response at the time of preparing this story.
Soccer Laduma also contacted Pirates but received no comment by the time this report was published.
As Pirates and Polokwane City discuss this significant transfer deal, the potential movement of Ndlondlo highlights the strategic considerations each club must address to get the agreement over the line. With expectations adjusted to accommodate Ndlondlo's value, both teams are believed to be navigating complex negotiations to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes in the January transfer window. It remains to be seen if this deal will be concluded soon.
Meanwhile, Sekhukhune United have since officially announced the signings of Otladisa (on loan from Pirates) and Kagiso Mayinga from Tembisa Hollywood Thunder.
