Maccabi Haifa Eyes Former Sevilla Winger Rony Lopes

Israeli football club Maccabi Haifa is reportedly considering signing Rony Lopes, a former Sevilla winger, to bolster their squad. Lopes, 30, became a free agent after his Portuguese club, Casa Pia, was relegated, leading to the automatic termination of his contract.

Maccabi Haifa is seeking a right winger to replace the injured Manuel Benson, who is out for the season. Kenny Saïf is currently filling the position.

Lopes has a notable career history, having been purchased by Sevilla for 25 million euros in 2019. He previously played for clubs including Lille, Monaco, and Manchester City, and has been loaned out to Braga and Alanyaspor. He has also represented the Portuguese national team, scoring four goals and providing two assists in the Portuguese league last season. His versatility allows him to play as a right winger or attacking midfielder, offering tactical flexibility to coach Barak Bakhar.

Lopes has experience in top European competitions, including the Champions League and Europa League, and has won the Europa League and the English league title. In the 2024/25 season, he scored one goal and assisted another in 29 appearances across Portugal and Turkey.