Orlando Pirates could soon part ways with reigning PSL Player of the Year Patrick Maswanganyi.
It hasn’t been the most emphatic season by Tito’s standards – recording one goal in fourteen league games – but he will be sorely missed if he leaves in the offseason. His flair, composure and experience have come up clutch on several occasions for the Buccaneers.
According to reports, Maswanganyi is eyeing a return to Europe, where he spent much of his youth playing for Portuguese academies, Academica de Coimbra and UD Oliveirense – the latter is keen on a reunion.
“It’s no longer just about an inquiry, it’s about negotiations now,” a Siya source confirmed during the January transfer window.
“They really want him back in Portugal. They are looking at the progress he has made and they are happy to bring him back to Portugal. It will all depend on what Pirates are looking at or if UD Oliveirense can afford what Pirates will be asking for Maswanganyi.”
“The only issue that is there now is the R40 million that the club has put on Maswanganyi’s head. You know he is one of the best players now in the country and if the club wants that amount then UD Oliveirense should meet or make it even better than that. But since they are believed to have opened up negotiations then it will all depend on their offer that they table to Pirates.”
Maswanganyi wants out?
It was under Farouk Khan’s mentorship at Stars of Africa where Tito’s started gaining European attention, flocking to Portugal before signing with SuperSport United in 2022.
Tito’s former coach is another reason why the playmaker is believed to want out of Orlando Pirates. Khan revealed that it was always Maswanganyi’s dream to thrive in one of Europe’s top leagues, saying, “He [Maswanganyi] is ready for Europe,
“Even himself as a player, he really wants to play there. You know if Orlando Pirates can allow him to go then it won’t benefit only Pirates from the sale but also the player himself and the country. He could have stayed longer in Portugal, but he was impatient that time,
“You know many players from Brazil, Argentina, and most other African countries use Portugal as a springboard to bigger leagues in Europe and he could have been patient then things could have worked out for him that time. But nothing is lost. He can still go now and make it big. He is ready for Europe.”
Should Tito leave Orlando Pirates?
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