News coming out of North Africa is that Bafana Bafana striker Fagrie Lakay has rejected a move that was all but done between his team Pyramids FC and one of their Egyptian Premier League rivals.
The hard-running attacker has been progressing in leaps and bounds since making the big-money move from Cape Town City back in 2022.
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In particular, he has been instrumental for the side this past season as they found themselves neck-and-neck in the league title race with Al Ahly, with the latter eventually using their experience in such situations to prevail by a five-point difference.
To put it into perspective, the reigning CAF Champions League winners finished on 85 points, while Pyramids managed 79.
They have now been runners-up in the league for three consecutive seasons.
Lakay also helped the team claim the Egypt Cup after beating ZED FC in the final in August, which marked the club's first piece of silverware since their formation in 2008.
Now, according to Egyptian publication KingFut, Pyramids and Cleopatra Ceramica had initially agreed on a major swap deal that would see Sadi Awujoola moving to the league runners-up, with all of Lakay, Mohamed Reda, Youssef Nabih and Abdallah Magdy moving in the opposite direction.
Of note is that the aforementioned quartet would be moving to Ceramica on loan.
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However, 27-year-old Lakay is said to have express his unwillingness to make the move unless he receives his full salary for the next season up front, believed to be around $600,000 (R10,5 million).
That was reportedly the deal-breaker as Ceramica won't budge, deeming the amount too excessive to be paid in one instalment.
It therefore looks likely the highly-rated forward will be staying on with Pyramids for the upcoming campaign.
The latest developments, though, are an indications that the club is willing to part with the Manenberg-born player, even if on loan... or even outright if the price is right, and it now remains to be seen if any other club in or outside of Egypt won't pounce.
Lakay has been linked with a move to South Africa before, particularly Mamelodi Sundowns under Rulani Mokwena, though nothing came of it, and with Kaizer Chiefs currently in a striker search, they could now make overtures to land his signature before the transfer window closes on 20 September.