Stellenbosch FC manager Steve Barker has made it clear that any teams scouting star player Jayden Adams must be willing to “dig deep” financially to secure his services.
Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns have been rumoured to have shown interest. And Barker mentioned Masandawana in the same sentence as a mammoth figure of R40-million.
The negotiation process won’t be as easy as it was in the past, he said. “Our players’ stock is higher now. We weren’t playing in Africa before or challenging for trophies.
“Now that we’ve won a trophy and are competing in Africa, it’s not as simple for other teams to just pick and choose our players.
“We have players sitting on the bench at Sundowns who cost R40-million. Why should Jayden Adams be valued any less, maybe even more?”
Adams garnered attention at the Africa Cup of Nations where Bafana Bafana finished third. He then backed it all up with impressive performances in the league, netting thrice and providing eight assists.
Barker gave his 23-year-old star some advice, too, telling Adams to focus on opportunities of making a move abroad instead of staying in the PSL.
“Jayden has ambitions to play in Europe. At his age, a move to Europe would be more beneficial for his career. I’d advise him to prioritise that over local options,” he said.
“You don’t want him going to Sundowns and only getting 13 or 14 league matches a season.”
Pictured above: Jayden Adams.
Image source: @sportsbeastsa
