It’s no secret that whoever buys troubled KwaZulu-Natal club Royal AM will need very deep pockets to get the club out of the financial hole they currently find themselves in.

For the last season, the club have been operating under a global transfer ban handed to them by world football governing body FIFA due to unpaid wages owed to Serbian striker Samir Nurkovic and Brazilian defender Ricardo Nascomento.

The transfer ban has been devastating, leading to the club being kicked out of the DStv Diski Challenge due to being unable to field a junior team for the competition. They were also forced into picking chairman Andile Mpisane, who is club owner Shauwn Mkhize's son, in official games.

It’s been a mess. And to make things worse, the club hasn't been able to pay their players’ salaries since last year.

Royal AM are also rooted to the foot of the Betway Premiership as they haven’t played a single game since December. As things stand, they will most certainly be relegated from the top flight. Whoever purchases Thwihli Thwahla will either have to watch the club play in the second tier for a season, or they will have to fork out millions to purchase the status of another.

According to reports, purchasing another club’s status typically costs around R15 million.

Mkhonto weSizwe Party MP David "Mazolman" Skosana confirmed last week he was one of the interested parties who were keen to buy the club, but his R15 million offer wasn’t enough to seal the deal.

Further reports suggested foreign businessmen, including one linked with sports minister Gayton McKenzie, were also keen on the club. McKenzie has posted on social media about the possibility of moving the club back to Bloemfontein, where they were based and played as Bloemfontein Celtic before Mkhize bought their status.

The deadline to submit a bid for the club was last week, and new owners were expected to be named already, however, red tape has so far prevented this.

Whoever takes over Royal AM will need more than just ambition – they will need the financial muscle to clear the club’s mounting debts, lift the FIFA transfer ban, and rebuild a squad capable of competing.

With unpaid salaries, a looming relegation, and the potential cost of buying another club’s status, the new owners will have to pour in millions before even thinking about success on the pitch. Without serious investment, Royal AM’s struggles could go from bad to worse, making this one of the most daunting rescue missions in South African football.