Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has revealed the approach they took to sign Thembinkosi Lorch from Orlando Pirates.
Lorch made a shock deadline day switch to Sundowns, as the news caught the Pirates supporters and the football public by surprise.
It is understood the Bafana Bafana forward was in the last six months of his contract at the Buccaneers and therefore could sign a pre-contract with a club of his choice.
READ | Lorch: Leaving was tough
The Buccaneers reportedly tabled a new offer to Lorch but he allegedly rejected it and the Soweto giants had no choice but to cash-in on their talisman than to lose him for free at the end of the season.
Mokwena has confirmed that Lorch was available on the market and they could not let the opportunity to sign a player of that stature pass them by.
"When you have a player like Thembinkosi Lorch who is available on the market and can give you immediate outlet to help the team, to work towards it's objectives, of course you have to try to see how possible that is," Mokwena said on the club's official YouTube Channel.
"And we want to thank his former club for dealing with the transfer with integrity and respect and of course that's how we try to treat every single club with respect and integrity in what was not an easy transfer to make.
"But I think the respect that comes and the co-operation that exists between both clubs, Mamelodi Sundowns, our hierarchy and Motsepe family with Orlando Pirates allowed it to take place and of course we're delighted to have recruited a player of his stature and magnitude," he said.
"Because of course he comes in having the expectations and the pressure to deliver. But he's a type of player big things can be expected from him," he added.
The Brazilians will re-open their DStv Premiership campaign away to Golden Arrows next Wednesday.
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