Star forward Lentjies linked to Chippa move

MARITZBURG United will not renew the contract of star forward Kurt Lentjies‚ with the player negotiating with Chippa United.

United chairman Farook Kadodia confirmed yesterday that Lentjies would not extend his contract – which expires at the end of this month – despite having an option to renew for a year‚ after four seasons at the KwaZulu-Natal club.

“I believe he is negotiating with Chippa United and intends going there,” Kadodia said.

“However, I can only officially do that [confirm Lentjies’s departure] after meeting him.

“He told me that he wants to go back to Cape Town eventually‚ and we didn’t want to stand in his way.

“He did not have options at clubs in Cape Town‚ and Chippa is at least closer.” Star attacking midfielder Lentjies has played 28‚ 26‚ and 26 games out of 30 for Maritzburg in the past three seasons.

The club’s official reasoning for releasing the player might be that 32-year-old Lentjies wants a change in his career‚ but his release is at least partly a decision of new head coach Fadlu Davids.

Davids‚ appointed this week after being United’s caretaker in two stints last season‚ is believed to want team players in his squad‚ with Lentjies not entirely fitting that bill.

Meanwhile, Daylon Claasen and Thamsanqa Sangweni have arrived to train with Bidvest Wits with a view to signing for the Absa Premiership champions.

The Bafana Bafana internationals were in negotiations with the club‚ coach Gavin Hunt said.

In keeping with the club’s modus operandi of trying to sign quality players on free transfers‚ both are out of contract with their respective clubs.