The three years that Erwin Saavedra has spent under contract at Mamelodi Sundowns have come at an expensive cost for the club.
Saavedra first made his way to Sundowns exactly three years ago after his Bolivian club Bolivar agreed to the transfer offer.
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That fee was widely reported to be USD800 000 (approx. R14,8 million) with Saavedra going on to get improved terms for his personal deal after moving across the South Atlantic Ocean.
At the time, he was in the Bolivia national team having earned 18 caps, so it appeared to make sense.
Unfortunately, as Saavedra turns 29 this month, his situation has been with little joy at Sundowns.
For all the time he has spent under contract at Chloorkop and winning silverware, he has only played 454 minutes.
Of his game-time, 265 minutes came during his first stint when he played 10 games over a period of two years.
Plenty of that spell was spent injured, before he then moved back home to Bolivar on loan at the beginning of last year.
With his contract at Sundowns still running, he returned at the beginning of this season to only play thrice.
It was 84 minutes against Mbabane Swallows in the CAF Champions League on September 21.
He then played 72 minutes against Maniema Union on November 26.
In between, his only appearance in the league was 33 minutes against Polokwane City.
With so much having been spent on him, this hasn't been the return which Sundowns would have wanted on a player signed on a long-term contract when he joined.
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The Tshwane giants have been seeking to find a permanent solution by selling him, but it is unclear what decision they have reached over his contract.
Saavedra is no longer registered as one of five foreign players and there are talks suggesting he might return to Bolivar.