Nkhatha signed a three-year deal with United late last week, swapping Johannesburg for Pretoria when his current contract at Chiefs runs out in June.

“It puts us under pressure at this time of the season, in terms of us making up our minds whether we keep him or if he needs to go in January,” Motaung said of the Zimbabwean striker on Tuesday.

“We're looking at various options. If we release him now, what options do we have? If we can't release him now, what effect will it have on his game?”

According to contractual laws in the Premier Soccer League, a player who has entered into his final six months on his current contract is allowed to engage with other clubs about a possible move elsewhere.

United made the announcement via a statement last week, confirming that Nkhatha would be joining the Pretoria club in July.

Motaung revealed that Chiefs were made aware by Nkhatha that he was looking at a possible move away from Soweto due to his fractious relationship with Chiefs' supporters, who have repeatedly booed and jeered him during matches.

“The player did mention to us that he was going to go home and discuss with his family about what he needs to do.

“We gave him that chance. SuperSport wrote to us to say that they are talking to him and we read about it in the news that he had signed.”

Motaung says Chiefs were prepared to offer Nkhatha a new deal, but admits the player's desire to move elsewhere was a factor that could not be ignored.

“With the pressure from the supporters and everybody, I think maybe he was put in a corner where he had to make a call for himself.

“Can you imagine if we keep him by force and the supporters still boo him? The poor guy is not enjoying himself.”

According to Motaung, Nkhatha remains a valued member of the Chiefs setup and confirmed that he had been registered to take part in Chiefs' Caf Champions League campaign, due to get underway next month.

“That's why we are looking at those logistics (letting him join SuperSport this month) and how to deal with the challenges that we're faced with now.”