SuperSport are working on signing a replacement striker for Jeremy Brockie‚ and are “fairly close” to closing a deal‚ Matsatsantsa coach Eric Tinkler has said.
Khama Billiat is not a target‚ the coach added.
However‚ Tinkler asserts that some of the money made by his club selling prolific Kiwi Brockie to Mamelodi Sundowns has to go to the loss made by SuperSport in the expensive outlay reaching the final of the 2017 Caf Confederation Cup.
Tinkler was asked if SuperSport will make signings before the January transfer window closes in four days.
“We have to‚ because we are very thin at the moment‚” he said.
Asked in which departments‚ the coach said: “Striker. Obviously striker. Because we’re thin there. Right now we have Kingston (Nkhatha) and the young boy Darren Smith.
“And that’s too much pressure to put on a young player‚ to be honest.
“Our problem isn’t one player. We need to bring in at least two quality players.
“We are fairly close (to concluding deals). And I don’t want to mention names yet.
“Because that process is still in negotiations and I don’t want things to be changing last minute and then I look like an idiot because I told you guys (the media) this one’s coming and then it doesn’t happen.”
Tinkler suggested SuperSport might have to look outside South Africa’s borders for a striker.
“The problem with the local market is it has become extremely expensive‚” he said.
“And I question whether those players are actually worth that amount of money.
“SuperSport run on a budget. A lot of the money that we made on Brockie is to make up for what we lost in Caf.”
Asked if Sundowns’ want-away star Billiat is a target‚ Tinkler answered: “No. That I can guarantee you. We don’t have a blank chequebook here.”
SuperSport have struggled from their exertions of travelling across the continent to reach November’s Confed final‚ and are languishing in 11th position in the Absa Premiership as they host 14th-placed Bidvest Wits at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday night (kickoff: 6pm).
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