MBABANE – A E75 000 signing-on-fee and E7 000 monthly salary demand by Cameroonian striker Etienne Massoye yesterday stalled negotiations with his team, Mbabane Swallows leading to a deadlock.

Massoye declined Swallows offer, said to be around E30 000 signing on fee and E5 000 salary.

In a press statement, Swallows secretary Sibusiso Manana said the negotiations had reached a deadlock and as a team they were not prep-ared to break their salary structures for one player.

“We met with the so-called agent for Massoye and we cannot afford what they want. We can’t break our principles for one player. We can’t afford to buy Massoye every season, we have other players to take care of,” Manana said.

He said they tried their best to make an offer to the reigning MTN League top goal scorer – who scored 18 goals in 18 games last season to propel Swallows to league triumph and is the current leading goal scorer with four goals again this season.

“He declined the offer which would have made him one of the highest paid players in the club. There is nothing we can do,” Manana said. Massoye was represented by one, Joseph Ambiana, who was sent in by Massoye’s brother/agent Daniel during the negotiations yesterday.

Ambiana is expected to report back to Daniel about the latest developments.

“We are not ready to bow down unless they accept what we have offered. Our fans must known this position and if they decide not to go down and accept what we offered, we will go to the market and find another striker,” he said.

Manana put it bluntly that the free scoring striker was being “greedy and we won’t tolerate because we have other expenses and players to take care of,”

In an interview last night, Massoye declined to comment on the matter. “They can say whatever they want to say, I won’t say anything but this is not the first time I am playing football,” Massoye said briefly.