Mamelodi Sundowns have received another official bid for teenage winger Kutlwano Letlhaku, with the player reiterating his desire to move abroad.
Letlhaku, 19, joined Sundowns from the School of Excellence in July 2023 and quickly worked himself into the senior set-up after starring in the club’s DStv Diski Challenge set-up, earning the faith of then head coach Manqoba Mngqithi.
His progress continued and he was a significant contributor to South Africa winning the recent U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, which also qualified the country for the U20 FIFA World Cup in Chile and went on to feature at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with Sundowns.
This publication has learnt that a first offer from a Portuguese club was turned down by Sundowns, but the club have returned with a second bid which could be worth up to R30 million with add-ons – a deal which could be the second-biggest move abroad for a South African teenager after Benni McCarthy’s infamous move from Seven Stars to Ajax Amsterdam 28 years ago.
Sources indicate this is the final offer to try and complete a deal, with the player’s family and representatives understood to have met with the club to make it clear they want to take this opportunity.
As previously report by iDiski Times, Lethlaku handed in a transfer request and wants to take his career to Europe to further progress, with this currently offer believed to be the fifth bid received by Sundowns.
When approached for comment, Letlhaku’s agent Mathew Moore of Centre Circle, stated:
“The key career development time in making the jump from academy player to professional in Europe are the 16-20 years that’s where European-based players accelerate ahead of SA players, especially tactically, in their development because European-based players are developing at a higher level and in a stronger competitive environment day-in-and-day-out,” said Letlhaku’s agent.
“The most successful SA players in history, today’s legends – Benni McCarthy, Steven Pienaar & even Quinton Fortune – all went to Europe when they were teenagers. Their clubs were willing sellers and in future years, Bafana Bafana reaped the benefits,” said Moore.
“For the kind of money that South African clubs want, vs the quality of players that European clubs can get for a similar price – the European club will go for the European-based player who would be more ‘match-ready.”
From the perspective of a European-based agent, Moore provided an interesting insight:
“European clubs are prepared to pay good money for ‘potential’ but the definition of ‘potential’ is the teenage years. Already SA is on the back foot because FIFA laws don’t allow transfers of players under 18-years-old, compared to European clubs who can move players within Europe from 16-years-old.
“It is a huge disadvantage for SA players and when you then get a club that doesn’t want to let a player go while he is a teenager, you ultimately see the player’s value start to drop and his opportunities dry up.
“Lucas Radebe is the only player that went to a big club when he was older but that was the 1990s – that doesn’t happen anymore,” added Moore.
“Sundowns is a great club if you are a player who wants to play in the PSL at a club with a professional environment and win things and earn a good salary and stand a chance to compete at the highest levels in CAF competition. No doubt about it and that is a fantastic legacy that the Motsepe family have built with Sundowns.
“But equally, if you are a young player with aspirations to play in Europe, your dreams die at Sundowns. It certainly looks like that is the way it’s going for Letlhaku and it will be a tragedy for the player – and a missed opportunity for Sundowns – if that happens,” Moore concluded.
Meanwhile, head coach Miguel Cardoso recently addressed the exit talk, stating that Lethlaku – similar to Siyabonga Mabena – is earmarked as important players for the future of Masandawana.
“I would like to make one thing clear, it’s important that you understand, it’s not Kutlwano or Mabena that are going to make Sundowns win the Champions League in the moment. It’s not those players that will make us champions in the end of the season,” Cardoso stated.
“Those players are very important players for the future of Mamelodi Sundowns.”
Letlhaku has featured 20 times for the Masandawana first team with three goals and six assists across all competitions since making his debut in March 2024 in the Nedbank Cup.
Story by Lorenz Kohler (@Lorenz_KO).