A 21-year-old footballer is on the verge of becoming Israel’s most expensive player ever by signing for Crystal Palace in a deal worth £24 million, according to reports.
Arab-Israeli Anan Khalaili, who was born in Haifa, is set to join the Premier League team weeks after a move to top Italian side Inter Milan collapsed at the last minute.
Speedy winger Khalaili has represented Israel 16 times and currently plays for Belgian Pro League outfit Union Saint-Gilloise.
Starring for Palace, Khalaili would get the chance to play European football as they won the UEFA Conference League last season, meaning they move up to the Europa League in the new campaign.
If the fee does hit £24 million, it will easily top the £15 million transfer of Israeli Mu’nas Dabbur from Red Bull Salzburg to Sevilla in 2019.
Khalaili grew up in Haifa after his family moved from the Arab village of Sakhnin in Israel.
He followed in his father’s footsteps as his dad, Majdi, was a player and manager, and his younger brother Iyad plays for the Israeli team Maccabi Haifa.
Anan Khalaili made 30 appearances for Maccabi Haifa, scoring eight goals, before joining Union SG in 2024.
He has played 71 times and scored five goals for the Belgium team.
Khalaili’s representatives told the Walla news site he is now on the verge of signing for Palace, The Times of Israel reports.
Palace are poised to beat Newcastle and a number of other club’s to get the highly-rated Israeli international.
Inter Milan pulled out of a deal to sign him in July after his medical.
Nottingham Forest then reportedly had a £17 million bid to sign him rejected by Unioin SG.
Sport 5 in Israel say the move to Palace is ‘a done deal’, and he’ll head to Selhurst Park in the ‘coming days’ for a medical.
Meanwhile, Israeli player Manor Solomon is set to drop down from the Premier League to the English Football League Championship with a transfer to newly relegated West Ham United from Tottenham Hotspur, according to The Athletic.
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