Dolly free to start discussing terms with Montpellier as Sundowns releases him

French Ligue 1 side Montpellier have activated the release clause of Mamelodi Sundowns winger Keagan Dolly‚ leaving him free to discuss personal terms with the club.

It looks as though the saga of his transfer away from Chloorkop has finally been completed after sources close to the player confirmed to Times Media Digital that Montpellier had matched all conditions relating to his R25-million buy-out clause on Thursday.

All that is left now is for the 23-year-old to agree personal terms to secure the move‚ which is seen as a formality. Dolly is viewed by Montpellier as a replacement for Morgan Sanson‚ who left for Marseille earlier this week.

It will be a relief for the player to conclude the deal after he was taken to the Premier Soccer League’s DRC over what the club claimed as an error in his contract relating to the release clause.

• Dolly's dad 'interference' irks SundownsThe bitter contractual dispute between Mamelodi Sundowns and Keagan Dolly took yet another twist yesterday when the club accused the player's father, Ramon, of going out of his way to drag the Pretoria side's name through the mud. 

Sundowns contested that it should have been double what was indicated in the contract and that an error in the drawing up of the document was to blame.

Should Dolly move to France he will join Kermit Erasmus (Rennes) and Lebo Mothiba (Lille) in a league that is regarded as among the top five in Europe.

• It was Motsepe who insisted on R25-million buyout clause: Keagan Dolly’s dadKeagan Dolly’s father Ramon Dolly’s version of events that led to an ugly dispute between his son and Mamelodi Sundowns claims that it was on club president Patrice Motsepe’s insistence that the buyout clause in the player’s contract be R25-million. 

He was a R7.5-million signing for Sundowns from Ajax Cape Town in 2014 and was immediately loaned back to the Mother City side for that season.

He arrived at Chloorkop at the start of last season and became an instant regular and an important player in the pursuit of the African Champions League title.

The Westbury-born playmaker will hope that a potential move to France further enhances his credentials for the incoming Bafana Bafana coach. - TMG Digital