Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Gaston Sirino's push for a transfer to the Middle East comes as a result of being offered a lucrative long-term contract by an unnamed interested club.
Sirino has taken to unorthodox tactics in agitating for a move away from Sundowns by expressing his unhappiness at Chloorkop despite being tied down to an existing contract at the club.
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KickOff can now reveal that Sirino has a three-year contract offer on the table from the Middle East with the player keen to explore the ongoing market.
This is the reason why the 32-year-old has now taken the option of being confrontational in stating his case to the club.
Sundowns are standing their ground by insisting that for a transfer to happen there must be an offer that meets their transfer fee valuation.
For all the shenanigans in the background, Sundowns have maintained a professional approach to this matter.
It is no secret that Sirino has had a long-standing interest from Pitso Mosimane's UAE club Al Wahda for the past two months but his contract at Sundowns and potential transfer fee has been a stumbling block.
Mosimane is yet to complete any signings of his choice at Al Wahda, but word is that the club's hierarchy are softening to his demands and player wish-list after a crucial derby win last Friday.
The UAE transfer window will close on September 21, leaving three weeks for the prospect of a deal happening in this window.
At the other end, Sirino stands to earn a tax-free contract worth up to R14 million annually which will triple his earnings.
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This is the money that is making Sirino unsettled at Sundowns.
There has been mention of that there are also efforts by contacts who have taken South Americans to the Middle East in recent years to iron out another deal.
Those contacts were involved in taking another Uruguayan Mauricio Affonso to Saudi Arabia prior to his arrival at Sundowns.
Sirino was signed by Sundowns from Bolivar La Paz (Bolivia) in January 2018 while Mosimane was still in charge at Chloorkop.
Through his time at Sundowns, Sirino has acquired South African permanent residency which qualifies him for Bafana Bafana selection having never played for his homeland Uruguay before.
Sirino was wanted by Egyptian heavyweights Al Ahly prior to Mosimane taking over and the interest continued into the former Bafana Bafana coach's stay in Cairo.
Talks were held but nothing ultimately materialised leaving the 32-year-old with no option but to stay at Sundowns where he renewed.
That new deal is still running.
However, the prospects of improving his earnings in the Middle East will tempt Sirino again considering that he stands to double the package that he is currently on at Sundowns.
Sirino featured in 27 games and scored thrice (plus five assists) last season (2022/23) and is fit to play right away this term having completed pre-season without any issues.
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