Wits to scour foreign market

With prices and salaries going crazy in the local transfer market, Bidvest Wits will focus more on the foreign market in boosting their squad for next season.

Wits might appear to have gone quiet on the transfer front after signing Daine Klate from Orlando Pirates, but they are working frantically to have a squad that can go better than their past two third-placed finishes in the Absa Premiership, chief executive Jose Ferreira said.

They are considering loaning out highly rated Ethiopian striker Getaneh Kebede, who arrived with a bang last season but struggled to nail down a first-team place.

"We are looking particularly into Wits to scour foreign market the foreign market because the SA market has become impossible for us to operate in," Ferreira said.

Ferreira and coach Gavin Hunt landed a big signing soon after the end of the past season, reuniting with midfielder Klate.

"That's the thinking we had signing Daine - the pedigree, the quality - and we hope he'll be able to give us the same kind of quality he did at SuperSport," Ferreira said.

The Wits CEO said he has been in daily contact with Hunt, currently on a golfing holiday on the Algarve coast in Portugal. He said Wits are working hard to line up their targeted players for the coming season.

Hunt struggled to find a consistent strike partnership throughout last season between Henrico Botes, Chris Katongo, Kebede, Sthembiso Ngcobo and Fikru Tefera, as Wits scored 34 goals.

Katongo and Tefera have been released.

Ferreira denied reported links to AmaZulu left-back Marc van Heerden and Chiefs centre back Tefu Mashamaite.