I don’t know if it’s just me, but I take real delight in finding a great player in a completely unlikely location. When you get bigger, it tends to be the Eastern bloc, but this season, it came from a little further afield.
Thailand? Really? All of Africa and you’re looting the favourite destination for 18-year-old backpackers? I wouldn’t have thought it either, and yet here we are with two lovely new Thai lads knocking around the place.
As a Brit, sometimes names from other cultures are a little difficult to pronounce. It’s ignorant, I know, but we’re bad at it. That I’ve added a pair of Thai names to my already challenging South African squad once more shows I’m a *********. I’m also paying way too much in wages to them, but I couldn’t resist their charms. Also I was hoping to get into the agent’s good books to let me have a crack at Suphanat Muenta, but no, he’s off to Norway. The git. Nearly got a Uzbek too, but Sundowns beat me to him.
Off the back of those rejections, I start to flex the club’s financial muscles. I made a promise to the squad that I would be prioritizing youth, but I didn’t say which young players I was referring to.
With that in mind a quintet of young players come in to complete the squad. The very highly rated Philander and Das Neves come in for fairly hefty fees from league rivals, but have so much potential. Nyambe brings a huge amount of potential for the low low price of free, as does really exciting Ivorian youngster Britto. I stupidly said I’d sign someone to help him settle, so I bring in Koffi from my old stamping ground.
I also want get a new number one between the sticks. Goss has been here for a little while now but just doesn't fill me with confidence. With a quick check of the media dream eleven, the very affordable Lincoln Vyver joins the party. He'll be a much welcome guest. Basically an upgrade in all departments with an extra six years to play with.
We round off our squad perfectly by bringing in Daniels on loan for the year on deadline day. We do have a future fee agreed, but it’s far too rich for my liking. But hey, who knows what budgets I might get next year and if he's as good as I think he'll be, it'll be worth it.
That we’re somehow still able to make a profit during this window is downright shocking, and I’m happy to have made some profit off of players leaving on frees I had no desire to keep. We get great deals for Mdaka and Du Preez, considering they weren't going to be starters and also manage to offload Goss and Ngcobo and McCarthy's wages from the bill.
The only one I’m gutted to lose is club vice-captain and stand out defender Ditlhokwe. But getting nearly half a million for him was the best I could do following his decision to not sign a new deal. Best to rip the plaster off now.
All this wheeling and dealing definitely has the bookies convinced. Our gains and our opponents’ losses have now made us favourites for the title.
Let’s go make it happen.