SuperSport United chief executive Stanley Matthews has confirmed that winger Thuso Phala will be leaving the club.

Phala’s current deal at Matsatsantsa expires at the end of the season, and the winger has been heavily linked with a move to Orlando Pirates.

The winger, who was believed to be pushing for a move, has been out in the cold at SuperSport since December. The player has not trained with the team and is believed to have fallen out with coach Kaitano Tembo.

The winger has subsequently been suspended, with a disciplinary committee (DC) hearing set to take place.

SuperSport boss Matthews revealed to the Sowetan that the player will be leaving the club, and that Phala was the highest-paid player at the club.

‘Thuso is currently suspended and he will have a DC at some point this week. He has not been training [with the rest of the squad]. His contract is ending at the end of the season anyway. We are not going to be retaining him,’ said Matthews.

‘In a way, it’s the end of Thuso at SuperSport. Obviously, he has got his hearing coming up soon, so I cannot really comment about what transpired. I do not need to justify the club towards Thuso because the club has been very good to Thuso. He’s the highest-paid player in the history of this football club.’

The revelation comes after Phala’s representatives, QT Sports agency, took to Twitter on Thursday to give their account of situation.

‘We will deal with this matter by informing the public of the correct turn of events on the Thuso Phala saga each step of the way, while exposing the long existing shenanigans that the public may not necessarily know of,’ read the agency’s statement, signed off by their football executive manager, Basia Michaels.

The SuperSport boss, however, refused to be drawn into an argument with the agency, insisting that the club have always looked after Phala. ‘I am not going to be chasing to Twitter. We will deal with this matter internally. We are purely looking at this case and once the facts are on the table, you guys [the media] can make the determination as to who has been good to whom.

‘There’s nobody at SuperSport that has ever earned more, ever, ever. We treated him well and he delivered for us up until his last few games,’ concluded Matthews.

The 32-year-old could still get his desired move, but with the transfer window shutting in a number of days any deal will have to be concluded quickly.