Kaizer Chiefs have been linked with several central midfielders in recent transfer windows but one forgotten Bafana star sticks out.
Kaizer Chiefs finally feel the time is right to sign Cele
According to Soccer Laduma, Chiefs will swoop in for a third time to sign 27-year-old midfield general Thabo Cele. The forgotten Bafana man fancies a return to South Africa in 2025 after a spell in Russia with Fakel Voronezh. The enforcer has made 27 appearances for Fakel since moving there in August 2023 from Polish side Radomiak. Cele only has five South African caps under his belt after making a debut in 2017 under former Amakhosi tactician Stuart Baxter. A report from SoccerLaduma back in July this year also hinted at Cele’s homesickness:
“They have been following him for almost three years now and the team’s scouts have been monitoring him and now he is back on Chiefs’ radar. Indications are that they have been talking to his representatives and the talks have been positive. “He will be like a replacement for Siyethemba Sithebe in the defensive midfield position. So it’s an opportunity that could happen in this window period,” said the source.
“He has shown interest in coming back home. No one really knows which club he would want to join but at the moment it’s Chiefs who are interested in him and this could give them an advantage to sign him since they are the ones who have been showing interest in him and also inquired about him,” added the second source.
Mdu agrees on a new deal
Slightly higher up the pitch, Mduduzi Shabalala is close to agreeing a three-year contract extension with the club. The 20-year-old has thrived in the number 10 position for Chiefs this term, featuring in all nine league matches with three goals and an assist.
