Hunt: Nurkovic wanted to leave Chiefs, Grobler would have replaced him

Samir Nurkovic’s immediate future at Chiefs remains uncertain amidst reports that Amakhosi are undecided over the forward’s contract extension option. Nurkovic’s Chiefs contract is coming to an end in June, and it increasingly seems likely that he will then leave the club.

The Serbian striker has struggled for game time under Stuart Baxter, and missed large parts of the season due to a long-term injury, while he has not offered much on attack when has been able to play over the last campaign.

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Humt, who who spent less than a year at Chiefs, has now opened up about how the Serbian striker was, in a sense, ‘trapped’ at the club last season.

“Last year when I got to Kaizer Chiefs he [Samir Nurkovic] wanted out,” Hunt said on Monday Night Football on Front Runner, as quoted by iDiski Times.

“He was injured and he wanted out. There was an opportunity for Kaizer Chiefs to sell him but the problem was the ban. If we sold him for good money, we couldn’t replace him.

“So I understood where the club, Bobby and them, came from. Who are we gonna get? We can’t buy because there’s a FIFA ban….

“You had a player that was injured and unhappy and you never got money for him, and now his value has dropped. But he’s free now to go anywhere.”

Baxter also revealed that SuperSport United stalwart Bradley Grobler was being lined up as his replacement.

“If we were able to replace him. To be fair, what was gonna happen was, we were gonna get Bradley Grobler last year.

“So he was gonna go and Grobler would’ve come in. It was gonna be a local [player] and that was the talk. That was the talk. I had a talk with Bobby and Kaizer and everybody, that was the talk.”

According to KickOff, quoting a source close to the situation, Chiefs have now asked for an extension on the deadline they set for Nurkovic’s contract, but failed to reach that agreement with the Serbian’s representatives.

“Though Chiefs have already made up their minds on other players that they are either keeping or releasing they are undecided on Samir which is why they have requested for an extension,” a source tells KickOff.

“It is rather awkward because that March 31 date was put by them, and this extension request will only suit them and not the player.

“What if they still don’t take up the option after that extension? That will leave the player in a difficult situation with lesser time to find another club.”

The situation has vastly differed from Nurkovic’s impressive first season with Chiefs, which saw him score 14 goals and earn an improved contract.

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Nurkovic scored his first goal of the season last Saturday in Chiefs’ win against Chippa United

Apparently there has been interest in his services from Middle East, but nothing has materialised amidst the reported uncertainty from Chiefs.

As matters stand, he is now able to sign a pre-contract with another club as he could be set to walk away as a free agent at the end of June.

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