Mamelodi Sundowns might be faced with yet another battle to tie down one of their star players on a new contract.

It was reported on Soccer Laduma in June that Khama Billiat will be happy to extend his stay with Sundowns, however, on the basis that the club will reduce his hefty €2.5m buyout clause. 

The player’s representative, Edzai Kasinauyo, who has since passed away, confirmed to Soccer Laduma at the time that the player’s camp was assessing Billiat’s options.

“Khama is approaching his 27th birthday and we need to make sure that the next contract that he signs is the right one for him and his career. You know that there are clubs who are interested but Sundowns want to keep him. He is considering his options,” the late Kasinauyo said at the time.

However, soon after, reports in South Africa have revealed that a Saudi Arabian club has put in a bid for the Billiat. Sundowns have since opted against commenting on the matter.

Billiat has turned down Sundowns’ new deal after the two parties were unable to come to a mutual agreement regarding the 26-year-old’s salary demands.

As it stands, Billiat still has a year left to run on his existing deal with Sundowns, which means that the player will be able to sign a pre-contract elsewhere come January 2018 and potentially leave on a free at the end of June next year. 

However, it remains to be seen whether or not Sundowns will eventually meet the player’s salary demands and conclude a new deal for Billiat in the coming weeks, so as to avoid the risk of losing a player of his calibre on a free at the end of his deal in June 2018.