Dolly’s big multi-millio European decision…
to test the player’s resolve by luring him back to Chloorkop? Dolly has also recently addressed rumours of talks to play for Kaizer Chiefs in the future. A salary package believed to be in the region of R1.2 million a month, however, would be a major stumbling block. It would take a record-breaking contract to potentially convince him to return back home, even if it’s the Glamour Boys. The Siya crew looks at Dolly’s struggles with injuries this season, potential interest elsewhere in Europe and whether any team in Mzansi can afford him!
Keagan Dolly has confirmed that the next few months could determine his next big step in Europe with his Montpellier contract running out in June 2021. The attacking midfielder is one of a handful of South African players in the big leagues abroad, following his move from Mamelodi Sundowns to the French Ligue 1 three years ago, but multiple freak injuries have stalled his career. With coach Pitso Mosimane admitting on a number of occasions that he’s never been able to fill the void left by Dolly – and Khama Billiat – could the Downs mentor be tempted
Europe remains Dolly’s priority
The 2020/21 season will set the tone for Keagan Dolly’s next big step. The Bafana Bafana international somewhat underplayed the importance of the upcoming campaign, but the reality is very different.
Does he stay in Europe or will he be persuaded to return to the Premier Soccer League like many of his compatriots have done when things have gotten a little tougher abroad?
“If I am meant to stay here at Montpellier, I will be happy to. But if not, we are happy to look elsewhere just to get to a place where I can play and enjoy myself,” the 27-year-old, speaking to the SA Football Journalists’ Association last month, explained.
Dolly is not homesick, that much he has made clear as the attacking midfielder vowed to fight for his place at Montpellier in the French Ligue 1 following a season hampered by injuries.
With the season in France now declared null and void, pending court applications to have it restarted, it gives the Bafana star some time to work his way back to full fitness and position himself to convince the club that he deserves a new deal.
Dolly joined Montpellier three years ago for a fee of around R20 million and the early days of his career abroad were promising.
In his first full season, he played 22 matches in all competitions, but then persistent injuries struck and it’s been an uphill battle for Dolly to regain his form. It also cost him a place in last year’s Africa Cup of Nations squad when then Bafana coach Stuart Baxter was determined to include him in the traveling squad to Egypt.
That’s all behind him now, he has said. But his long-term future will soon be in focus – his Montpellier contract is running out in June 2021.
“Firstly, I need to stay fit,” said Dolly.
“I definitely need to get some games and stay injury-free, have a good pre-season and obviously score more goals. I think I have been lacking that. I haven’t been creating a lot of opportunities when I started a few games in the past. I have been working on that and doing finishing on my own and getting into the box as much as I can.”
The Siya crew has been informed that Dolly and his camp are adamant to continue his journey in Europe and have made it their priority.
Where in Europe? They Siya crew has been led to believe that there is interest in Dolly, with a few clubs in France having asked questions.
But, at the moment, his focus is on winning a place in the Montpellier starting line-up and overcoming his injury woes. That will give him the bargaining leverage to plan his long-term future with the June 2021 contract expiring date approaching.
Prior to Dolly finally securing a move abroad, there was interest elsewhere from the likes of Atletico Madrid in Spain, Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb and Greek outfit Olympiacos, who came close to getting a deal over the line by submitting a bid reported to have been around R12 million to his then club Mamelodi Sundowns.
In the end, and after a drawnout saga involving a dispute on the player’s buy-out clause from his existing contract at Chloorkop, he joined Montpellier and Sundowns accepted a transfer fee in the region of R20 million.
Although he has admittedly struggled over the last year or so, Dolly has built a network abroad and is being monitored closely by several clubs that could be keen on his service should Montpellier decide he should move on.
In essence, his representatives would know which buttons to press, should it come to that, because there are several options apart from France alone.
Could Dolly look to Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Belgium, Greece or maybe even the MLS in the United States? It will be important to follow the money, too, given his age!
Considering the strong euro and dollar exchange rate, compared to the rand, clubs abroad do offer a financial incentive to Dolly. And if it’s about the money, a top club in Turkey, Belgium, Croatia or Greece could be his best option. Although a move to a mid-table club in France or Spain could be as lucrative as one of the top teams from one of the aforementioned so-called smaller European leagues.
But the post-COVID-19 football landscape will dictate a lot on his movements were Dolly to leave his current club. Agents around the world are expecting less activity in the upcoming transfer market for the 2020/21 season and depending on whether the current situation improves quickly or not, that will most likely spill over into the campaign after that, therefore affecting Dolly.
For now, with a year still to run on his deal, the Bafana star is financially secure and has a full season to fight and hold on to that job sanctuary.
Salary package rules
out SA return? In 2018, reports in the French media indicated that Dolly was earning nearly R600 000 a month at Montpellier, but two years later, the figure is estimated to have gone up handsomely and increased his package to around R1.2 million a month.
It’s a big figure in comparison to what Absa Premiership players are taking home, where clubs are believed to be paying an average of around R600 000 per month to an elite bracket of a few superstars, and a handful of select coaches.
Just last month, reports varied around coach Pitso Mosimane’s new four-year deal at Mamelodi Sundowns, but the Siya crew understands ‘Jingles’ now collects around R1 million a month at Chloorkop.
For Dolly, who is easily now a millionaire from his first ever European contract, returning to Mzansi would have to be worth his while, and it is unlikely that any team – even big spenders Sundowns – would match his Montpellier salary.
This is partly why the upcoming season in Ligue 1 is so crucial for the player, a balance between getting back to full fitness so he can break into the starting line-up and convincing the club that he deserves an extension.
With the current Coronavirus pandemic, clubs across the world are cutting down on costs as they begin to feel the financial pinch – and salary cuts in Europe have been dominating the headlines.
But the bubble is starting to burst in SA, too.
Dolly and his representatives will no doubt take that into account when it is time to either renegotiate with Montpellier for an extension or in their search for a new home for the former Downs man - should his French club opt to cut ties with him.
Not a lot of clubs in Mzansi will be lining up for a player who pockets R1.2 million a month, and chances are Dolly, as he’s already indicated that his heart is in Europe, will exhaust all options abroad first.
The Chiefs link While they may not pay huge transfer figure and have been widely criticised for it, Amakhosi do pay big wages.
But the R1.2 million a month, even if it is adjusted slightly should Dolly become a free agent and contemplate returning to Mzansi, will be a stretch. Rumours have been rife that the attacking midfielder is the subject of interest at Naturena – the player, however, laughed it off last month.
There’s the assertion that Dolly, who was rejected by Chiefs as a teenager following a three-month trial, has some unfinished business with the Glamour Boys and that may very well be true. It will probably when he winds down his career and considers coming back home to the PSL to do so.
“I don’t really read much into it because there is always rumours in football that ‘this player is going to that team and that player is going to this team’. It makes me happy that the people back home are still missing me – to know that they haven’t forgotten about me,” said Dolly last month.
“But, I mean, it’s just speculation. I know that myself, my agent and my family know what the plan is and what the vision is for my career going forward. When people speculate on me going to Chiefs or going back to Sundowns, it’s all speculation. I don’t really take it too deep or I don’t really read into it that much because I know what I want and what the plan is.”
It settles that narrative for now, but things change quickly in football and you can never rule out a scenario where speculation becomes an actual reality. Pitso: Downs haven’t
replaced Dolly There have been a series of tweets from Mosimane now reiterating that the Brazilians have not been able to replace Dolly since he moved to Europe in January 2017 and Khama Billiat, now at Chiefs, who followed suit a year later.
Even after signing a new contract recently, Mosimane and his boss Patrice Motsepe spoke about new player acquisitions. However, the coach couldn’t help but bring up Dolly’s departure again.
As far as he is concerned, Sundowns have never been able to “fill the void” left by the attacking midfielder three years ago, though the club has won the Absa Premiership title on two occasions since Dolly left.
Mosimane has, effectively, opened the door for the player to walk back into their Chloorkop base at any point, “even if it’s to keep fit”.
It suggests there remains interest in welcoming him back should Dolly consider leaving Europe for the PSL, but it would take some doing and a big contract to get him to give up on his pursuit of game-time at the highest level abroad.
If any team can do that here in Mzansi, then it is probably Sundowns – after all they have been able to sign former Bafana stars looking to end their stints in Europe to come back to the domestic league like Sibusiso Zuma, Josta Dladla, Benedict ‘Tso’ Vilakazi and Matthew Booth, and most recently, Anele Ngcongca and Andile Jali.
Motsepe would have paid big salaries to pull those off, but R1.2 million would be quite a stretch.