One In, One Out - Mamelodi Sundowns Continue Spending Spree

Since rejoining the Winelands Club, Rayners has scored 32 goals and assisted 11 more in just 1.5 seasons. He started last week’s 3-1 win for Stellenbosch over TS Galaxy in the MTN8 Cup. 

Downs’ coach Mngqithi had the following to say about the 28-year-old: “We are happy to have him, he will add something to the club, I’m looking at him more for the Champions League than for the PSL.

“In as much as he will help us in the PSL, I think in the Champions League he will really give us more.”

The arrival of Rayners will put an end to Matias Esquivel’s chances of action next season. The Argentinian left-footer plays as a second striker and this season’s 4-3-3 formation has no space for him. 

Despite costing a R46.7 million fee, he has been loaned out to Club Atlético Talleres in his homeland. The deal will have an option to buy and he leaves after just 13 outings for Sundowns.

Masandawana coach Manqoba Mngqithi has issued updates on striker Abubeker Nasir and winger Erwin Saavedra. With a full quota of foreign players, the latter could be naturalised due to having over R12 million in financial assets. 

On Nasir still being part of the Sundowns’ plans, he said: “I think so because he’s training with us. He was not registered last year because he was injured.

“We wanted him to recover and build the physical side. We’re still looking at him because he was out for too long.”

On right winger Saavedra, the Bolivian may be registered as a local. Mngqithi said: “He played in the friendly against Marumo and he had an exceptional game and in training. 

The truth is nobody knows what Saavedra is capable of in South Africa because he got injured, but believe me, there’s so much that boy is supposed to give Sundowns.”

He further said: “This issue of naturalisation sometimes is because of what you have in terms of assets and if you’ve got assets that amount to a certain amount of money.”