The arrival of Steven Pienaar at Bidvest Wits is a major coup for the South African champions and a sign once again that the traditional giants, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, have not only lost their allure, but also their spending power.
Whether either were seriously in for the former Bafana Bafana captain is unknown, but they should have been, because a player of his ability and star quality could paper over some of their considerable cracks.
But instead he will wear the white of Wits, returning to the Premier Soccer League for the first time since he left Ajax Cape Town for Amsterdam in 2000.