Kaizer Chiefs have confirmed the departure of midfielder Njabulo Blom after months of speculation on his future.
The national team midfielder has completed his move to US Major League Soccer side St. Louis City SC.
In a statement on Friday night, the club described his departure as “bittersweet”.
THE EPITOME OF A KAIZER CHIEFS ACADEMY GRADUATE
“It’s a bittersweet departure because I think it’s no secret to Amakhosi’s faithful how highly we value Njabulo Blom. He is the epitome of what our Academy has been able to produce over the last couple of years.”
“This is part of the plan for us to unearth talent of international standard. More so, we want to ensure that we produce talent that can go out to explore opportunities abroad.
“From a personal point of view, it’s great to see a young man who grew up in the system now being afforded the opportunity to expand his horizons,” said the club’s Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Jr.
The American side also confirmed the move via its website, saying they were waiting for his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
Blom joins the club on a two-year contract that runs through the end of the 2024 MLS regular season with two option years in 2025 and 2026.
“We are excited to bring a young South African national team player like Blom to our squad and St. Louis”, said Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel.
HIS WARRIOR QUALITIES
“His ball-winning, super-aggressive, warrior qualities as a central defensive midfielder match what we are looking for in our philosophy. Blom’s addition to our team is exactly the missing puzzle piece we needed.”
The 23-year-old will play under Bradley Carnell at City. His topflight debut came three years ago as a 19-year-old.
The versatility that saw him sometimes play as a right-back may be of benefit to Carnell’s charges.
In the DStv Premiership, he played 94 matches across all competitions. His national team debut came last year in an international friendly against Uganda.
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