SuperSport CEO Matthews confirms receiving 'a very good offer' from Sundowns to buy Aubrey Modiba

12 August 2020 - 14:08

By Marc Strydom

SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews has confirmed his club have received “a very good offer” from Mamelodi Sundowns to buy dynamic utility player Aubrey Modiba‚ but added he cannot make a decision on that until the end of the 2019-20 season.

Matthews also added‚ in a potential sales call to rival bigger clubs‚ and apparent admission that there is interest in the Premiership’s second-top scorer with 12 goals‚ that SuperSport would entertain good offers for striker Bradley Grobler.

Matthews said the sale of the two players would form part of SuperSport balancing their books financially amidst the impact of Covid-19 on football clubs.

“Yes‚ Sundowns have shown interest – they’ve never stopped showing interest in Aubrey‚” Matthews told a SA Football Journalists Association press conference on Wednesday of SuperSport’s Pretoria neighbours continuing to make offers for Modiba‚ as they have for the past two seasons.

“We’re at a point with Sundowns where they’ve tabled a very good offer. But we’ve taken a view‚ which I think is the right one‚ that given the situation of we’ve got six games left‚ I don’t know what my situation is going to be.

“It could very well be that we finish third‚ and I’ve got Africa next year. That also has an impact on the depth of the squad and what we do.

“So from that perspective there’s still water to flow under the bridge this season. I’m not in the transfer window now – I’ve got six games left and I’ve got to get the best out of my assets.

“This is disturbing enough for me now being open and honest about the Aubrey and Bradley situation because I’ve also got to be open and honest with them. And they know the reality.

“Bradley knows that if he wants to get a better contract he’s going to have to have to move from SuperSport‚ because we just don’t have it in our locker to reward him what he maybe could get at another club for being the top PSL goalscorer.

“Having said that we can reward him with longevity‚ a long-term contract or a coaching contract afterwards.

“And I can try and make it as attractive for him as I always have done in trying to keep some of my former players at the club‚ and players who have done well for me – and Bradley certainly qualifies as one of those.”

The third-placed Premiership team qualifies for the Caf Confederation Cup. SuperSport are in fourth place as they prepare to return from the March suspension of the Premiership with their bio-safe bubble match-up against Bloemfontein Celtic at Bidvest Stadium on Sunday.