Ajax Cape Town are believed to be in talks to buy Bloemfontein Celtic’s Absa Premiership status if their bid to retain their own PSL status fails.

Talks are believed to be ongoing between the Free State club’s owner Max Tshabalala about an alleged swap that will see Ajax play in the Absa Premiership while Celtic do battle in the National First Division.

Ajax have been embroiled in court battles over the past two months as they attempt to overturn the ruling which saw them automatically relegated in the aftermath of the Ndoro saga.

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The Urban Warriors were handed a lifeline when Judge Denise Fisher directed the matter to Fifa as the only body that can rule on Ndoro’s matter.

Ajax are said to be working on this deal with Celtic as a safety net, in case they lose their bid to remain in the league.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza has since revealed that the Ndoro saga could force the season into a late start as the PSL intends to appeal the court decision handed down by Judge Fisher.

If Ajax fail in their bid to stay in the top flight through their court battles‚ it is believed that they would go ahead with a deal to buy Celtic’s status and relocate the club to the Mother City.

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The deal would also see Celtic assume Ajax’s status in the National First Division (NFD).

‘It is true that Ajax bosses have been in contact with Bra Max [Tshabalala] in Bloemfontein with this offer of swapping their PSL statuses‚’ said a source close to the matter.

‘Obviously they are not sure whether they will ultimately win their case through the courts or at Fifa and stay in the PSL.

‘So they have devised a plan B that could see a swap of the two clubs’ statuses.’

The deal would see both sides keep their current squad of players, according to the source.

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‘From my understanding of things‚ Ajax only wants the status of Celtic and this means the players will be left in limbo.

‘I am not sure how far they have gone with the negotiations but this may prove to be a problem if any deal is agreed to between the two sides.’

The Bloemfontein club has been up for sale since last month as they do not have a sponsor and they have failed to pay salaries on time‚ leading to a meeting between the South African Football Players Union and the players last weekend.