Samir Nurkovic has had countless engagements in weighing up his next move since his ugly departure from Royal AM a year ago.

Nurkovic lasted only three months at Royal AM after having signed for the club as far back as May 2022 just before the expiry of his contact at Kaizer Chiefs where the deadline of activating the option of another year on his contract was not met.

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The 30-year-old spent three years at Chiefs after being brought in by Ernst Middendorp and started off brightly with 14 goals in his first season before protracted contract renegotiations, written offers from Abha Club in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait SC in Kuwait, and injury concerns slowed him down in his second and third years.

In moving to Royal AM last year, Nurkovic's options were now thin after scoring once in the 2021/22 season.

Nurkovic's stay at the KwaZulu-Natal club turned sour, leaving without featuring in any official games and has since won his unfair dismissal case at FIFA which has left Royal AM with a transfer ban following their failure to pay the Serbian his dues.

Samir Nurkovic in action for Royal AM at the Macufe Cup before his contract was terminated.

While Nurkovic will be staying put in the DStv Premiership and more crucially be based in Gauteng, there have been plenty options considered since he left Royal AM.

TS Galaxy – with whom he has agreed a deal until the end of the season – were keen from as far back as last year but financial differences proved a deterrent.

Nurkovic was amongst the top tier of earners in his last year at Chiefs after making what was almost a fourfold jump from what he was on in his first year after coming in from Slovak club Komarno.

Royal AM then matched what Nurkovic was on in his last year at Chiefs.

That multimillion-rand deal is what then delayed the forceful striker's next move.

Chippa United, TS Galaxy, Cape Town City, Moroka Swallows, and Sekhukhune United all came through phases of being engaged via different channels on the domestic front. 

There was talk of options in Egypt, Slovakia, Turkey, and the Middle East but none were convincing enough for Nurkovic to take up. 

Raja Casablanca would have met Nurkovic's financial expectations but turned down the option after the Serbian spent time training with the club during the period leading to the King Salman Club Cup (Arab Club Champions Cup).

Samir Nurkovic - 14 goals and 6 assists in 31 appearances

Nurkovic has joined TS Galaxy as replacement for Ivorian striker Djakaridja Traore who has moved to Turkish club Istanbulspor.

The 31-year-old last had official minutes in the colours for Kaizer Chiefs on May 8, 2022, against Mamelodi Sundowns when he came on for Lazarous Kambole with 16 minutes remaining.