Cele's agent opens up on Chiefs talks

Although not entirely closing the door on a potential move to Kaizer Chiefs, Thabo Cele™s agent has told SABC Sport that a move to the Premier Soccer League is unlikely at the moment.

The midfielder has been on the Glamour Boys™ radar for a year now, since first making headlines when his performances at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 stood out around the time his contract with Portuguese outfit Cova da Piedade was running out.

He started all three games against hosts Japan, France and Mexico in coach David Notoane™s side and did not look out of place.

Chiefs made serious efforts to sign Cele then but the move never materialised, and the 25-year-old instead put pen to paper on a two-year deal - plus an option for a further season - at Radomiak in the Polish topflight.

Speaking to SABC Sport, his European-based representative Hélio Martins reiterated Cele™s commitment to his new club but confirmed there were indeed talks with Amakhosi.

Reports in Poland had also claimed that Chiefs had submitted a bid of around R1.6-million to try and lure the midfielder to Naturena as they continue to rebuild their squad for coach Arthur Zwane heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

œThabo is committed to having an excellent pre-season and starting strong for next season. We know that the market closes later but at the moment he is focused on Radomiak, Martins told the public broadcaster™s sport desk.

œThere was interest from Kaizer Chiefs, a great club, but an understanding between the parties has not yet been possible.

What SABC Sport has also gathered is that there is a feeling at Naturena that perhaps the club has a lot of midfielders, but Cele was still being discussed as possible a target.

He recently visited the KwaZulu-Natal academy alongside Sphephelo ˜Yaya™ Sithole, who made his Bafana Bafana debut two weeks ago in the 2-1 defeat away to Morocco in the opening qualifiers for next year™s Africa Cup of Nations.

The duo are products of the academy and Sithole plays for Belenenses, who will now feature in Portugal™s Liga 2 after they were relegated.

With the Polish registration window only due to close on 1 September, while the PSL slams shut three weeks later according to the FIFA calendar, it may serve as ample time for the parties to potentially come to an agreement but Radomiak have made it clear Cele is in their plans.

By Mazola Molefe