According to reliable Siya sources, SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates have all but agreed a deal in principle on the permanent sale of midfielder Thalente Mbatha, who joined the Soweto giants on loan in January.
Soccer Laduma reported two weeks ago that Mbatha was likely to swap places with Thabang Monare, the 34-year-old Bafana Bafana international who has only featured twice for the Buccaneers since the Africa Cup of Nations.
It's important to note that the two deals are independent because Monare will be out of contract in June anyway, so this would not be a trade.
While Mbatha has impressed coach Jose Riveiro in the short time he has been at Pirates, it's been the opposite for Monare as he appears to have fallen out of favour and is seemingly on his way out of the club.
Sources then informed the Siya crew that the process for Pirates to trigger the buyout clause was underway, and now new information is that their Tshwane rivals are now formally waiting for the paperwork to seal the agreement.
Riveiro could also have an influence in this decision, although he was cagey when asked directly following the 4-0 win over Royal AM last weekend if he wanted Mbatha to become a long-term player at Pirates.
"This is probably not the space to talk about that, but I don't see him as a player who is on loan. We are going to use him as good as we can as a player with a talented future and I hope the best for him," the Spaniard explained.
