Twenty-one years old. Three months in Belgium. And already a queue forming. Relebohile Mofokeng left Orlando Pirates for Union Saint-Gilloise on July 2 for around €3.5 million, a record fee for the South African league according to The South African. But the Brussels club may soon have to fight to keep their gem.
According to transfer specialist Ekrem Konur, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Chelsea and Brighton are all keeping a close eye on the Bafana Bafana winger. Walfoot picked up the story but urged caution: for now, the interest is only preliminary. In other words, nobody has reached for the chequebook yet.
Brighton a step ahead?
The English club hold a strong card. As The Citizen points out, Brighton owner Tony Bloom is also a minority shareholder in Union. Brighton previously signed Percy Tau, Mofokeng’s compatriot, before immediately loaning him to the Belgian side.
On the pitch, the youngster isn’t slowing down. He scored on his Europa League debut against Viktoria Plzen, then bagged a brace on September 30 in South Africa’s 5-0 rout of Eritrea in AFCON 2027 qualifying. Only three months into his stay, he is unlikely to move this winter, with Walfoot calling a January exit surprising. But at this rate, his price is only going one way.