Brian Baloyi exposes Kaizer Chiefs’ transfer weakness amid Seluleko Mahlambi pursuit

Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Brian Baloyi believes Kaizer Chiefs’ difficulties in the transfer market stem from strained relationships with other clubs, warning that the Soweto giants must rebuild their connections to secure their preferred targets.

Amakhosi have struggled to complete several transfer deals in recent years, with inflated asking prices frequently emerging as an obstacle to strengthening their squad.

Baloyi, who spent more than a decade at Chiefs, believes the club needs someone with strong connections across the football fraternity to negotiate deals more effectively and improve its recruitment strategy.

“I think for me, the biggest thing with Chiefs is their relationship with other clubs. It is very important if you want to make transactions, like buying and loaning players. Within the club, they must find someone who has relationships with other teams,” he said on SoccerBeat.

“That person will be responsible for signing and loaning players. It could be a technical director or sporting director, but you need a relationship to make successful transfers.”

Baloyi compares current Chiefs recruitment to Bobby Motaung era

The former goalkeeper believes Chiefs have lost their effectiveness in the transfer market over the past two years, pointing to the negotiating ability of former football manager Bobby Motaung as an example of what the club needs to recover.

Baloyi acknowledged that recruitment requires more than identifying talented players, arguing that established relationships can make the difference when clubs negotiate transfer fees and loan agreements.

“I think looking at the last two years, Chiefs have lost that. I don’t want to take anyone back to Bobby, but in terms of player transactions, he used to do a better job. He used to have relationships in Zimbabwe and other countries, but looking now, Chiefs are struggling to sign players,” Baloyi added.

Kaizer Motaung Jr has assumed a more prominent role in the club’s recruitment process, but Baloyi believes Amakhosi must strengthen their connections with other teams to improve their chances of completing deals.

For a club with Chiefs’ stature and ambitions, difficulties in negotiations could limit its ability to compete for sought-after players, particularly when rival teams are reluctant to lower their asking prices.

Baloyi’s assessment suggests that improving the club’s transfer strategy will require a more deliberate approach to relationship-building, rather than simply making offers for players and expecting agreements to follow.

R10m Seluleko Mahlambi valuation highlights transfer challenge

Chiefs’ reported pursuit of Seluleko Mahlambi has brought the issue into focus after TS Galaxy chairman Tim Sukazi revealed that Amakhosi had offered R4 million for the player, whose valuation stood at R10 million.

The difference between the offer and the asking price highlights the financial challenges clubs can encounter when attempting to recruit players from domestic rivals.

However, Baloyi believes Chiefs should have continued negotiations rather than allowing the disagreement over Mahlambi’s valuation to become a stumbling block.

He argued that maintaining a productive relationship with Sukazi could have created an opportunity for further discussions and potentially brought the two clubs closer to an agreement.

“If you speak to Tim Sukazi, make an offer and he rejects it, you should return and negotiate. You can do that only if you build relationships. It seems they don’t have relationships with other clubs today,” he said.

Chiefs urged to rebuild football connections

Baloyi believes stronger relationships could help Chiefs navigate future transfer windows more successfully, whether they are pursuing permanent signings or exploring loan agreements.

Rather than abandoning negotiations after an initial offer is rejected, the former goalkeeper believes Amakhosi need the right people in key recruitment positions to maintain dialogue and find common ground with selling clubs.