Snl24 | Manqoba Addresses R63m Transfer Fee For Striker

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 01: Arthur Sales of Mamelodi Sundowns during the MTN8, Semi Final, 2nd Leg match between Stellenbosch FC and Mamelodi Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium on September 01, 2024 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)

In a country where revealing transfer fees seems like taboo, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has admitted that he is not entirely against it after it was revealed how much the Tshwane giants paid for Arthur Sales. 

TransferRoom confirmed that Sundowns €3.2M (R63 million) on securing the services of Sales. The signings of South American players at Sundowns have been revealed in the past, but it’s not the case when players are signed locally or on the continent. Mngqithi, however, feels that this information should not be a secret and he has explained his reasons for this. 

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“With the issue of transfers, I am not somebody who likes secrets. I am that type of person because I don’t think it helps much when you are trying to conceal the truth and then the truth comes out. That’s probably where a lot of damage happens, but if we are honest and upfront about everything when it comes to transfers, just like it happens all over the world, we don’t have to answer after because at least the answers are already there,” Mngqithi said during a press conference held at Chloorkop, Johannesburg, on Thursday afternoon.

“But I know sometimes that could cause issues in the change room and all that, but I always say that in football you have an opportunity. In football, your biggest opportunity is when you have to sign your own contract. You must do the best you can to do what you think you deserve. In these issues of contracts and monies spent on players, personally I would not want these things to be happen. I would love these things to be open to know who is earning what in that club. That will also help other players who are cheated somewhere, where you find a PSL player is still earning R5000-R10 000. If this thing is in the public domain, I think every club will compete to be at a certain decent level in terms of the figures.”

Now that the big transfer fee has been revealed to the public, Sales has the big task of making sure that he does not put any pressure on himself to deliver based on what the club forked out to secure his services. 

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“As to whether it will affect his performance, I don’t know, but I have not seen that. All I have seen is that he is a committed footballer. He gives his best and he is a good football player. He is definitely going to help the team. All I have seen is that he is a committed footballer.”