Khama Billiat has upped the ante in his battle to improve his pay package at Mamelodi Sundowns.
Downs are desperate to hold on to their prized possession and conclude a new deal with their ace who is in the final year of his five-year contract with the Chloorkop club.
The Sunday Times can reveal that on Thursday Sundowns met their Zimbabwe international and tabled a deal of R200,000 gross which will shoot his net pay to R135,000. Billiat currently earns R160,000 gross and takes home R90,000.
But Billiat's camp is not budging and has tabled a counterproposal. In a WhatsApp message seen by the Sunday Times, Billiat told a close confidant that the club was "cornering" him to sign a new deal.
He wrote: "They putting me in the meeting to sign. Yogesh and the coach are all trying to put me on the cona No, I'm not gnn sign anything [sic]."
He also played a pivotal part
Yogesh Singh is the club's general manager who handles player signings.
Billiat joined Sundowns from Ajax Cape Town in August 2013.
He has helped the Tshwane club scoop a cabinet of silverware including two Premier Soccer League titles, the Nedbank and Telkom Knockout trophies.
The 27-year-old also played a pivotal part in Sundowns clinching the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League and the Caf Super Cup.
He was a runner-up in the Caf African Footballer of the Year based in Africa, an accolade that went to his teammate and goalkeeper Dennis Onyango. In 2016, he was the biggest winner at the Premier Soccer League awards, taking home the player, players' player and midfielder of the season awards.
Kaizer Chiefs are known to be interested in Billiat but he has offers from France. Egyptian outfit Zamalek are also suitors and were prepared to make a deal which came to nothing when the Egyptian transfer window closed on Thursday...