- Dan Shikanda says their striker, Elvis Rupia is very close to renewing his contract which ended last month. The boss has made it clear that renewing Rupia’s contract remains a top priority as they await his final decision.
The club is eager to hold on to its key players. The club’s technical bench led by Anthony Kimani advised the boss to ensure that Rupia is retained as he is one of these players at Leopards that deliver top performances consistently.
The striker has a great performance history. Before joining the squad, he was a good performer at his former club Wazito FC. He has also ventured into international leagues with Zambian Power Dynamos.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to further delays. Following the cessation of movement Rupia will have to wait as he cannot travel to the city to finalize the paperwork.
“The technical bench has asked us to retain him by all means and we have negotiated with him and agreed on everything. He would have already put pen on paper had it not been the cessation of movement which has locked him upcountry. Once the restrictions are lessened and he is back in Nairobi, we will finalise everything and tie him down to a lengthy contract,” said Shikanda.
As the negotiation continues, Rupia reveals that he has also received an offer from another club. Shikanda clarified that he will respect the striker’s decision whether he chooses to remain in the club or sign a new contract elsewhere. The boss embraces the traditional paperwork and is willing to wait for the government’s green light on the cessation measures.
“Our policy is clear! We do not block or frustrate players when they get better offers elsewhere. The door is always open for players to advance their careers in other countries. If he has a better offer elsewhere then we will have to look for another striker. We would have wanted him to sign the contract online but we want him to do it physically and in the presence of the media,” he added.
