Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng hasn’t featured since November, coming on in the dying minutes against Richards Bay FC.
The Buccaneers, who have remained vague on the situation, have put the 26-year-old’s absence down to ‘personal issues’, but recent reports suggest that their reluctance to sell him in the latest offseason has him skipping practice.
According to KickOFF, Saleng, who seemed set on a move to Europe, was negotiating with Monaco and Standard Liege, but Orlando Pirates blocked all deals from happening.
What about the Middle East?
The same publication stated that this wasn’t the first time Orlando Pirates interfered with Saleng’s negotiations, stating that Al Nasr had offered him a R13.4 million salary following his prolific 2022/23 season.
However, Orlando Pirates recently put out an official response dismissing this claim:
As Orlando Pirates Football Club, we have noted with great concern a growing trend of misinformation circulating on social media and in certain media outlets regarding alleged offers for some of our players.
Ordinarily, the Club refrains from engaging with baseless rumours aimed at creating unnecessary sensationalism and clickbait. However, the persistence and escalation of these unsubstantiated claims now compel us to set the record straight.
The misinformation began with a fabricated story regarding Monnapule Saleng, alleging that the Club had denied the player a lucrative transfer opportunity to a team in the Middle East. Initially, we chose to disregard this as, yet another false narrative meant to explain the player’s temporary absence from the playing squad. Unfortunately, the story has since gained unwarranted traction, even being picked up by some mainstream media outlets.
Should Orlando Pirates try make things right with Saleng?
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