Orlando Pirates potentially face being blown out of the water in the race to land in-demand Maritzburg United star Karim Kimviudi following lucrative transfer offers from abroad for the Congolese midfielder.
KickOff can reveal that that Maritzburg United have set an asking price of R15 million after dropping their demands from an initial R20 million price tag.
READ | LIVE | DStv Prem transfer window - Pirates add another Star
Pirates tabled a R12 million offer for Kimvuidi that was rejected by Maritzburg who stood firm in their asking price.
The KwaZulu-Natal based club will play in the Motsepe Foundation Championship in the 2023/24 season following their relegation from the DStv Premiership last season and will not be keeping Kimviudi.
KickOff can also reveal that Wayne Rooney's DC United have tabled an offer in a bid to bring Kimviudi to Washington in the MLS.
However, at present the offer made by Rooney's side falls short of Maritzburg's price wanted for the highly-regarded 21-year-old.
Kimviudi is keen on the switch to the Major League Soccer club but what needs to happen is that there has to be an improvement on the offer for Maritzburg to sign the deal.
The Congolese midfielder has interests of establishing himself in the national team and knows that the MLS will provide him with the platform to do that.
Sebastien Desabre, who coaches the Leopards, has taken interest in Kimviudi's next move.
DC United's offer falls below what Maritzburg are aiming to receive, which is funds that they want to use in their bid to return to the DStv Premiership.
The MLS' appeal is on the up following the arrival of global superstar and Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi, whose club Inter Miami plays in the same Eastern Conference as DC United.
Interestingly, there is another USL Championship (second tier) club that has met Maritzburg's asking price.
The issue is that they are a lower division club which compromises Kimviudi's chances of breaking into the national team.
Of note is the fact that the Congolese national team has players in France, Belgium, Turkey, and Switzerland.
This website can confirm that besides Pirates there are five clubs in Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt that have shown interest besides those from DR Congo.
Kimviudi put in a solid shift of 34 appearances for Maritzburg in the 2022/23 season earning top marks despite the KwaZulu-Natal club's relegation.
This was after he arrived at Maritzburg at the beginning of last year from DC Motema Pembe and immediately won the admiration of then-coach Ernst Middendorp.
After spending several months only training and not playing official matches, Kimvuidi then got going at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
What he has shown through only a season in the Midlands has given Maritzburg boss Farook Kadodia reason to place his price tag at R15 million.
Turkish club Alanyaspor have shown interest just like RSB Berkane and Olympic Safi from Morocco.
Kimvuidi has been back home in Kinshasa keeping fit with Les Anges.
The dreadlocked midfielder is targeting a return to the national team after previously earning caps at youth level and the CHAN team.
Maritzburg paid in the region of R2,2 million in landing Kimviudi from Motema Pembe.
You must be Sign In to read and post comments.
Click HERE to register!