Premiership side Bidvest Wits tried to hold on to former captain Sifiso Myeni, according to coach Roger de Sa, but could not match the salary offered by Orlando Pirates.
Myeni joined the long queue of departed stars from the students’ ranks, signing for the Buccaneers during the transfer window, but De Sa said the club was not in the market of selling players.
“We have never encouraged any of our top players to leave the club,” De Sa said ahead of the second half of the Premiership season which kicks off on Wednesday.
“As for Myeni’s move to Pirates, it was simply the player’s wish.
“We were ready to offer him a new contract when his present contract expired at the end of the season and we were prepared to pay him a good deal more than he is earning now.
Massive signing fee
“While our players are well paid and receiving good money, we could not, and had no desire to, get into a price war with Pirates.”
The Wits coach said he believed Pirates had offered Myeni three times as much as he was earning at Wits, with a massive signing fee to boot.
“I don’t want to mention exact figures because that is not my business,” De Sa said.
Reports, however, suggested that the midfield kingpin would receive a salary in the vicinity of R150000 a month at Pirates, as well as a signing fee of R1-million.
De Sa said Wits enjoyed a generous and sympathetic sponsor and they had a significant talent pool from which to source players.
‘Legitimate needs’
“They [Bidvest] are always ready to meet our legitimate needs,” he said.
“But players are bought and paid according to what we regard a reasonable market value in South African soccer.
“I also believe we have the best development programme in the country and we will always be assured of a continual stream of young talent coming to the fore.
“Myeni might be an outstanding player and prospect but we already have three or four young players ready to take his place — and they are improving all the time and already earning good money.
“Ultimately it is the player’s decision to look for a better deal, but the grass is not always greener on the other side — and quite often players who leave the Students’ set-up come to regret the move.” — Sapa