Dolly can go at the right price - Motsepe

The mining magnate also confirmed that the 2016 CAF Champions League-winning club have agreed to a new four year contract extension with head coach Pitso Mosimane.
 
Dolly has been at loggerheads with the Tshwane team for the last few months over a contractual issue. However, last week the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) ruled in the club’s favour.
 
The DRC accepted that a mistake had been made on a contract amendment 18-months ago and that the buyout clause (thought to now stand at around R25 million) should be increased from the actual amount on the contract (believed to be in the region of around R12.5 million).
 
This has led to talk that Sundowns are trying to block a potential move for Dolly to either Greek side Olympiacos, or French team Montpellier. Both clubs were said to be making offers of around R10 – R15 million, although one report in a local media publication on Monday claimed Olympiacos’ latest bid is just under R22 million.
 
But Motsepe feels that the full story has not been told – he says Sundowns players will be given every opportunity to further their careers in Europe, as long as his club is not short-changed by overseas-based teams thinking they can take advantage of the exchange rate to pick up a quick bargain in Africa.
 
Motsepe was unhappy with the “many inaccurate reports regarding this Keegan Dolly matter,” and says the club do not aim to stand in the way of any player’s dream: “You have to keep the morale in the club at its optimum, if a player wants to leave, you have to let him go.
 
“This [contract issue] was a mistake in good faith. I even called Keegan personally to offer him support. Sundowns did make a mistake in the buyout clause in the contract. Instead of R10, Sundowns had R5. It’s a genuine error.
 
“We shouldn’t be in the business of subsidising top European clubs. Why must they pay us in 18 months?” he questioned, “The issue is not even about the buyout clause. It’s the fact that these European clubs want to pay us over 18 months, come on now.”

In a statement read out by PRO Alex Shakoane, it was noted that the Brazilians always thought it possible they could lose some of their best players, and subsequently planned ahead.
 
“Mamelodi Sundowns will immediately release Keagan Dolly if it receives an offer in terms of the buyout clause (reported to be R25 million) that was agreed between Keagan Dolly and Mamelodi Sundowns and that was upheld in terms of the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) award.
 
“Mamelodi Sundowns has over the last 12 months initiated discussions with one of the top Football Clubs in the world (it was later hinted that the aforementioned team was an English Premiership club) to purchase Keagan Dolly. It’s scouts and representatives have been monitoring him.
 
“Mamelodi Sundowns specifically bought Sibusiso Vilakazi, [Yannick] Zakri and Thapelo Morena to replace Dolly and a few other players that we expect to release to European clubs. We expect as part of our 10-year plan to release some of our best players to top European clubs but also to develop quality players at our Academy and to continue bringing the best South African, African and South American talent to the Club.”
 
Motsepe also confirmed a new four year deal for Mosimane, who has secured two domestic league titles in the last three seasons as well as the 2016 Champions League trophy for Masandawana.
 
While half-jokingly stating that he would “like Pitso to be the Alex Ferguson or the Arsene Wenger of Sundowns” and remain with the team for several decades, Motsepe also said he would happily allow Mosimane to take up the vacant Bafana Bafana head coach position, or indeed further his career in Europe.
 
“I would love to see Pitso coaching one of the top European clubs. I would also do my patriotic duty and release him if requested by Bafana Bafana to do so and with Pitso’s consent. If Bafana wants Pitso, we will release him. But of course Pitso must agree. We’ve always put South African interests first,” he added.