Ligue 1 club Lille announced the signing of South African left-back Thato Sibiya on loan with an option to buy from Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday.
Sibiya - who won the U20 Africa Cup of Nations as the primary first-choice left-back for Amajita last year - will initially be with Lille's reserves.
The 20-year-old had become a first-team player at Mamelodi Sundowns last season, making four appearances for Miguel Cardoso's side - including two in the CAF Champions League, which they ultimately won.
He generally held his own defensively when called upon and assisted Brayan León's goal in a 2-0 South African Premiership win over Orbit College in January.
Sibiya told Lille's website that he spoke to Sundowns teammate Lebo Mothiba - a former Lille and Bafana Bafana striker - about the club.
"I am very grateful to have had this opportunity to join LOSC. I am proud and happy to sign for this great club, and very excited and eager to start working," he said.
"I am a dynamic and fast defender. I am determined to develop here and integrate as quickly as possible, starting by adapting to French life and its football.
"Before coming, I spoke with Lebo Mothiba, who was my teammate at Mamelodi Sundowns. When I told him I had the opportunity to come here, he told me not to hesitate and to go for it. He was very happy for me and spoke very positively about the club and the city."
Mamelodi Sundowns have previously been criticised for not being willing to allow players to leave the club - notably in the cases of Kutlwano Letlhaku and Lucas Ribeiro Costa last season.
Ribeiro eventually invoked the Lassana Diarra ruling to unilaterally terminate his contract, with the legal ramifications still unclear although his career has continued. Letlhaku remains contracted to Sundowns.
The financial muscle of the Motsepe family has shielded Sundowns from the financial demands faced by rivals which have forced them to sell players.
There have been exceptions to the perceived general reluctance to let players go. For one, Sundowns allowed Percy Tau to depart in July 2018 for a reported initial fee of around R50 million to Brighton & Hove Albion.
In 2023, Cassius Mailula departed for Toronto FC in another notable overseas transfer - though he has since returned to Sundowns after loan stints at Wydad Casablanca and Kortrijk.
Bafana Bafana winger Thapelo Maseko was announced as a new signing by Danish giants Copenhagen last week after a largely unhappy three-year stint at Sundowns, albeit with some notable highs.
By allowing a second first team player in quick succession to depart for a prominent European league, Sundowns have arguably bucked recent trends. Cardoso has made it clear that Sibiya leaves with his blessing.
"It is a fantastic opportunity," the Portuguese tactician, who previously coached Nantes, told reporters while the deal was being finalised.
"I coached in France, so I know very well the club he is going to, the facilities they have and the process they use to develop young players.
"At the same time, it is a very competitive environment he is going to face, but I think he is ready for the challenge. What will speak for him is not the level of readiness he has now, but the level of readiness he will develop there.
"There are still steps he needs to take before we see him in the first team in the future."