Kaizer Chiefs have aligned themselves to guarding their purse following financial decisions that have left them with a severe strain in the pocket in recent years.
Chiefs have never been shy to hand packages that rank as the best in the league when negotiating contracts, but they have had little returns from their top earners after taking that route.
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This year, Keagan Dolly has been the headline exit for those who were on big money at the club.
The midfielder had the biggest contract that a player has ever had at the Naturena-based outfit with millions of rands flowing into his bank account yearly but wilted on his way out.
With a sad tale of injury concerns in his third season, so bad was his campaign that he only played eight games and failed to score.
Dolly had by far the heaviest package of those who left, followed by S'fiso Hlanti, Siyethemba Sithebe, Efmamjjasond Gonzalez and Njabulo Ngcobo.
Itumeleng Khune – who has also been earning 'top dollar' despite playing only 20 games in the last three years – is now standing nearer to the door than he is inside at Naturena.
This time last year, Khama Billiat was the front seat victim of what has befallen Dolly.
The Zimbabwean was another top earner who didn't do justice to his package, with injuries also defining him at Chiefs instead of plenty goals and assists as was expected.
Through that off-season window last year, Chiefs also offloaded Mulomowandau Mathoho – who had the second-highest package out of all the players that were shown the exit.
Mathoho had worked his way up the earning ladder throughout the 11 years that he spent wearing Gold and Black.
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In June 2022, Chiefs got rid of Leonardo Castro, Samir Nurkovic Bernard Parker, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Lebogang Manyama and Daniel Cardoso after they enjoyed what would rank the best contracts of their careers while at the Soweto giants.
They were all on net earnings of six figures and enjoyed substantial signing-on fees.