Moorosi Tsiane
MASERU — Linare’s attempts to coax LMPS winger, Peter Tale into their fold during the just-ended January transfer window period have failed, the Sunday Express heard this week.
The transfer window period that was opened on the first day of last month was closed on Friday January 31.
The Hlotse giants wanted to beef up their squad coming into the second round of the Vodacom premier league that resumes today.
The police side had put the M10 000 price tag on the midfielder’s head but the Hlotse giants found the asking price unreasonable.
Linare communications and marketing manager, Teboho Ntoane they were determined to get Tale’s services but the move was unlikely as the negotiations were done during a bad time for Likhopo when they were in preparations for the burial of their late former owner and coach Bishop Molatoli.
“We tried to bring him in now but LMPS demanded too much but we later learned that the player was on loan from Likhopo.
We failed to reach an agreement with Likhopo because we got them in a bad space when they were in funeral preparationsfor their late former owner, Bishop Molatoli,” Ntoane said.
Molatoli was buried in Sekhutlong in Maseru yesterday.
However Ntoane said they had confronted Likhopo’s management about the player saying they were prepared to pay just M500 for him for the remainder of the season until they could sit again and renegotiate a better deal for the new 2014/15 season.
The winger has not been featured in the two -legged Lesotho National Insurance Group (LNIG) Top 8 quarter finals matches the police side lost to LDF in past two weeks and is likely not to play when LMPS host Joy today because he has not reported for training.
LMPS secretary general, Ntšenki ‘Nei however said Tale is still their player since he is fully registered with his side and not on loan from any team since he had been with LMPS for the past three seasons.
“How can a player be on loan for three seasons in one team? Tale is a fully registered LMPS player and we are still waiting to hear from Linare as they said they will get back to us after we told them our price,” ‘Nei said.
He said they had no problem with releasing the player but said that football statutes must be obeyed and followed.
Meanwhile, Likhopo team manager, Qamako Mahao confirmed on Friday that Tale was still Likhopo’s player who had been loaned to LMPS. The deal which was renewed by the start of this season with the consent of both teams.
He said they had told Linare to table their offer adding that the offer would be the decider as to whether they would sell him or release him on a loan deal until the end of the season.
“We are still waiting for Linare to table the offer which will be the one that will determine the player’s future,” Mahao said.
He however said Linare caught them on a bad time when they were busy and all could not be finalised in time but they were still waiting for them.