Kaizer Chiefs' latest transfer business in this window has closed off their pursuit of two players that they had earmarked for the position that has been a headache.
Chiefs have brought in Bradley Cross as the latest of seven signings that they have made, which include Njabulo Blom returning on loan, Inacio Miguel, Gaston Sirino, Bongani Sam, Rushwin Dortley and Fiacre Ntwari.
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Cross, Sam and Dortley can all play at left-back, which is indicative of the issues that had popped up during this off-season.
The Soweto giants chose not to retain their regular left-back S'fiso Hlanti and have since found themselves with further complications with Edmilson Dove now uncertain if he will play this season due to injury.
Sam has his own injury concerns at present with questions floating about his ability to hold it out all season in that position.
Happy Mashiane has always been an alternative but hasn't been able to stand up to be counted for all his time at the club.
With all these happenings, it meant despite Sam being signed, there was still room for another option, especially after he got injured along with Dove during pre-season in Turkey.
Dortley is left-footed and can play at left-back but has been essentially brought in as a left-sided central defender.
Before the signing of Cross, Amakhosi's priority was Fawaaz Basadien of Stellenbosch FC.
However, what Stellies wanted for his transfer was more than three times what made sense for Chiefs to pay for a left-back and so they settled for Cross at a cost of R3 million from Golden Arrows.
Having broken into the Bafana Bafana squad, Basadien's value will rise.
In between failing to land Basadien and then getting Cross, Chiefs also tried to get Riaan Hanamub from AmaZulu FC.
Hanamub was in the last year of his contract at Usuthu, so it appeared a deal with lesser complications, but it still didn't work out in the end.
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The Namibian has since signed an extension to keep him in KwaZulu-Natal.
For Chiefs, it means their left-back options will have Cross, Dortley and Mashiane, plus Sam and Dove when they recover from injury.