Kaizer Chiefs defender Aden McCarthy is set to join Azerbaijan Premier League side Sabah FK. The club has qualified for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League after winning their domestic league.
McCarthy, 22, has had an outstanding season with Amakhosi, and playing in the Champions League will enhance his development as a player.
According to iDiski Times, the young defender departed on Monday evening to finalise the transfer. It is believed that McCarthy signed a three-year deal with an option to extend.
Reports indicate that in April, he signed a new contract with Kaizer Chiefs that included a clause allowing him to leave if a European club made a suitable bid.
Last season, McCarthy made 31 appearances for Amakhosi, scoring twice.
With one defender leaving Kaizer Chiefs have signed another, Thabo Moloisane.
The 26-year-old center-back left Stellenbosch FC last month and became a free agent. Amakhosi has reportedly signed the Bafana defender on a long-term deal, making him a suitable replacement for McCarthy.
With Moloisane moving from Stellenbosch to Chiefs, the Cape Winelands club could also be in the market for an Amakhosi player. Ashley Du Preez is likely to return to his former club, as he has not featured much and is expected to leave the Soweto giants in the coming weeks.
Kaizer Chiefs to lose defender
“Not the season I imagined, but maybe the season I needed,” Du Preez wrote on his Instagram account.
“This season tested me, humbled me, and helped me grow. I leave stronger, wiser, and with greater faith in God than ever. I learned more in the struggle than I ever did in comfort. I will continue to trust God’s timing for everything ahead. Praise God.”