It is going to take nothing less than R10-million for any local club to secure the services of AmaZulu goal machine Bongi Ntuli.
Ntuli has produced a number of stunning moments for AmaZulu during their tough times in the Absa Premiership this season.
While AmaZulu are second from bottom of the table, Ntuli has given them hope with his important strikes.
With Ntuli around, they believe they can avoid relegation to the GladAfrica Championship.
Ntuli has notched up 12 of the 24 goals AmaZulu have scored this season. He is two goals behind the league’s leading scorer, Gabadinho Mhango of Orlando Pirates.
The marksman has been linked with the Buccaneers but Usuthu have put up a “Not For Sale” sign on Ntuli.
Usuthu team manager Qedi Dlamini says local clubs that want Ntuli must break the bank and pay R10m.
“Bongi is not for sale,” Dlamini stated.
“While Bongi was still at Mamelodi Sundowns, he was always calling me telling me about his desire to come back home.
“That’s why it was easy to get him on loan from Sundowns and when an opportunity came for Bongi to be our player on a permanent basis, it was very easy (to sign him).
“We negotiated and we agreed on his personal terms easily. He has got a long-term contract with us. I believe this is the first season where he has done well.”
The 28-year-old came to prominence in 2012 during his time with Golden Arrows.
Two seasons after making his Premier Soccer League debut, Sundowns lured him away from Arrows.
Ntuli failed to make an impact at the Brazilians because of limited opportunities to prove his worth.
He was loaned out to Platinum Stars for three years and to Usuthu twice before joining the KwaZulu-Natal club permanently last year.
“For him to increase his level of consistency, it will help him to continue and stay at AmaZulu,” Dlamini said.
“I want to put it straight: He is not for sale. There’s no-one who has contacted us about the services of Bongi Ntuli,” he added.
Although AmaZulu have placed a ‘not for sale’ tag on Ntule, they are not completely ruling out the possibility of parting ways with their star - but it has to be a serious offer to convince Usuthu to change their mind about Ntuli.
“If we do get to a point where we have to part ways or transfer him, it won’t be a cheap transaction. That one is for sure, it won’t be a cheap transaction because he is worth over R10m now. He is an investment for us,” Dlamini said.
“There’s no club locally that can pay that amount of money.”
In 2018, Ntuli went for trials at Swedish powerhouse Djugardens but couldn’t agree terms with the club after he impressed them.
Usuthu are only willing to listen to offer from overseas for Ntuli.
“We will only entertain an approach from outside the country and then we will put a price that will be beneficial for him and the club financially.”