Cape Town Spurs head coach Ernst Middendorp has explained the club's decision on former Orlando Pirates attacker Kermit Erasmus, whose club search is threatening to continue into 2025.
Erasmus was one of several players who were released by Pirates as their contracts reached expiry at the end of June, with the others being Thabang Monare, Siyabonga Mpontshane, Richard Ofori, Vincent Pule, Fortune Makaringe and Souaibou Marou.
READ | Will Erasmus be signing for Spurs?
The pint-sized striker then started training with Spurs after weeks of no luck on the job search front.
Ultimately, the Motsepe Foundation Championship outfit opted against signing the 34-year-old, with CEO Alexi Efstathiou revealing in October, exclusively to KickOff.com, that he was only at their training base at Ikamva to keep fit.
Middendorp has since confirmed the club's decision when speaking about Erasmus on Radio 2000's Game On.
"He was here for some days, but everybody has to understand he is a PSL player and I could see still he has a clear target, a clear direction," the German gaffer offered.
"We allowed him to train for a week, [but] it was not really going to happen that he will be part of the team.
"I think you cannot have a rehabilitation centre or condition centre where somebody gets fit and runs away," he continued.
Out of the seven off-season exits at the Buccaneers, Erasmus and Marou remain the only two yet to secure a new club,
READ | Middendorp fed up with ref drama in NFD
Monare has since penned a deal with Sekhukhune United, Ofori has made a switch to AmaZulu FC, Pule has been snapped up by SuperSport United, and Makaringe calls Cape Town City home.
With all his experience, though, it is unlikely the Gqeberha native will remain a free agent for long, though any deal he secure would likely be his last in the professional ranks.