Cape Town City FC chairman John Comitis has confirmed that talks with Orlando Pirates over the potential transfer of teenage sensation Emille Witbooi have taken place, although no deal has been agreed.
The 18-year-old winger is reportedly valued at €1 million (approximately R18.7 million) and has attracted interest from several clubs, with the Buccaneers among his admirers.
Orlando Pirates have been looking to strengthen their attacking options following Relebohile Mofokeng’s reported departure for Belgium in July, with Witbooi emerging as a potential target.
Speaking to KickOff, Comitis confirmed that the two clubs had held discussions but were unable to reach an agreement.
“We decided to keep Emile Witbooi to assist us this season. There is still a lot of interest, and we may still do something before the end of the season,” Comitis said.
“We saw a lot of media frenzy around the kid. We were very happy to listen to offers. We did speak to Orlando Pirates, but nothing materialised.”
Despite the interest in the young winger, Cape Town City are currently prioritising their promotion push and want to retain his services for the remainder of the campaign.
Orlando Pirates eyeing Witbooi
Comitis is confident that the club will eventually secure the right value for the highly rated youngster, should a transfer materialise.
“At this stage, we are very focused on keeping him here so that he can assist with the promotion battle. Everybody knows the value of the player, and we will get the value. We are not concerned about that,” he added.
“The team is settled now. There is nothing happening. We are just focusing on matches, game by game. We will see how it goes, one game at a time,” Comitis concluded.
For now, Witbooi remains at Cape Town City as the club pursues promotion, but Comitis’ comments suggest that the door remains open for a possible transfer before the end of the season. Orlando Pirates will need to pounce fast if they are to sign the wonderkid.