With the Major League Soccer (MLS) transfer window closing on Thursday, Minnesota United FC are racing against the clock to seal the signature of Orlando Pirates star Relebohile Mofokeng, a source told ESPN.
As initially reported by Tom Bogert on Tuesday, Minnesota United submitted a bid of over $2 million for the South Africa international winger/attacking midfielder.
A source at Minnesota United told ESPN that the club was in 'hot pursuit' of the player and that Mofokeng had agreed personal terms in principle, but Pirates upped the price ahead of the final day of the secondary transfer window.
The 20-year-old kept a cool head with a strong performance in Pirates' 1-0 win over Stellenbosch FC at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
Asked by ESPN about his discussions with Mofokeng over the Minnesota bid, Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou avoided answering the question directly in the post-match press conference, but indicated a desire to keep him.
"I'm sorry about [not being able to answer] that question. Today, I was focused really on the game [against] Stellenbosch and I didn't have time to watch, look [at] or read the media. What I know is: Rele is with us and today, he did well. That means he is with us and I hope he will be with us," said former Morocco and Fulham centre-back Ouaddou.
Mofokeng has reportedly drawn interest from several clubs over the last two years - notably trialling at Wolverhampton Wanderers and reportedly even catching the eye of Barcelona.
Minnesota United already have Mofokeng's compatriot - winger/striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane on their books. The 25-year-old last played for Bafana Bafana in 2023.
Meanwhile, Mofokeng has risen above him in the pecking order since making his debut in June 2024 in a 3-1 win over Zimbabwe. Both will be hoping to make Hugo Broos' squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco (December 21 - January 18).
If the Loons hope to have them together and competing for minutes at club level too, the onus looks likely to be on them to up the stakes on Thursday.
Information from ESPN's Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.