Chiefs exercise Billiat offer?

Khama Billiat’s future could be firmly in Kaizer Chiefs’ hands, with news that the club is understood to have exercised the oneyear option in his contract.

The attacker is approaching the end of his initial deal with the Glamour Boys, one that was signed in July of 2018, when he joined them on a free from Mamelodi Sundowns. But it was announced at the time that an option to have the initial three-year contract extended by a further season had been added.

Billiat has not had the most memorable of stints at Naturena. His form hasn’t come close to what it was at Downs, while he has also battled injuries under three different coaches – first Giovanni Solinas, then Ernst Middendorp and now Gavin Hunt.

Indications are that Billiat has attracted interest from North Africa, but with Siya sources suggesting that Chiefs are reluctant to release him on a free, it left the Soweto giants with no choice but to trigger the option in the contract.

What that does is allow for Amakhosi to cash in on one of their highest earners and recuperate the money they’ve spent over the last three years paying his salary, which is reportedly in the region of R8 million per annum.

There’s been no official word from the club on any player movements so far, though coach Gavin Hunt has been consistent in his remarks that he needs fresh faces at the club.

Hunt has also insisted that Billiat was part of his plans for next season, but the Siya crew has it on good authority that Chiefs are looking at selling the player and to avoid losing him on a free.

“He’s all in the plans. It’s only people like yourself who will say he is not in the plans. I don’t know where the story comes from. He is in the plans, so we need to get him fit,” Hunt told the media last month prior to Billiat’s return to action.