Mandla Masango to SuperSport‚ Dove Wome to Pirates – ‘the deals are on’

“The deals are on‚” said SuperSport United chairman Khulu Sibiya‚ confirming that his club are scrambling to sign Mandla Masango on Tuesday’s final day of the transfer window‚ and loan Dove Wome to Orlando Pirates.

Sibiya said the deals are still to be finalised‚ but that there is a high chance of them being concluded on Tuesday.

SuperSport are trying to sign former Kaizer Chiefs winger Masango from his Danish club‚ Randers FC‚ where he has spent the past season-and-a-half and has a contract that runs until June 2018.

Sibiya said the Pretoria club will then loan out mercurial Togolese forward Wome to Pirates “to make space for Masango”.

Masango would reunite with SuperSport coach Stuart Baxter‚ who the Bafana Bafana forward won league and cup doubles under at Kaizer Chiefs in 2012-13 and 2014-15.

Baxter had indicated that while Masango spent the Danish Christmas break training with SuperSport‚ and the coach would love to have him‚ there might be issues with cost as Randers recently turned down a 3 million Krona (R4‚6 million) offer for the player.

Sibiya could not confirm if the move to SuperSport would be on a loan or permanent basis.

He said to say that the deals were “done” would be premature.

“I think it’s safe to say‚ ‘yes’‚ and that negotiations were going on last [Monday] night‚” the SuperSport chairman said.

“I am still waiting for [SuperSport CEO] Stan Matthews to come back to me. But‚ yes‚ it’s on the cards.

“Pirates are keen on Wome on a loan basis. And we have to make room for Mandla Masango.

“Stuart Baxter really loves Mandla. They have a good relationship. But because the squad is too big we have to offload one and get another in.

“So yes‚ it’s definitely on the cards. Today is the last day of the transfer window and we’re trying to finalise it.

“I can simply say: yes‚ that’s the deal. And listen‚ it’s a deal that’s going to happen‚ so take it as confirmed. The deals are on.”

Baxter rehabilitated Masango – whose career was on the skids at Chiefs having shown promise but little delivery‚ from his time as a youth player there – into a match winner and Bafana international at Amakhosi.

Masango would join Tefu Mashamaite‚ Morgan Gould and Reneilwe Lestholonyane as players who served under Baxter at Chiefs to have followed the coach to SuperSport.

Wome has had an injury-plagued 2016-17 season‚ making just seven appearances.