Striker Guy Melamed Wants Immediate Move From Maccabi Haifa to Rival Maccabi Tel Aviv

Maccabi Tel Aviv is reportedly pursuing a high-profile transfer for striker Guy Melamed from archrivals Maccabi Haifa. Sources close to the situation revealed on Tuesday that Melamed himself is eager for the move and intends to demand an immediate release from his current contract.

Melamed is expected to meet with teammate Lior Refaelov to communicate his desire to leave. The striker's contract with Maccabi Haifa runs until the end of the season, with a salary of 350,000 euros. Currently, he is not a first-choice player under coach Barak Bakhar, with Silva Kani and Andraz Sporar often preferred.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is seeking to bolster its attacking options, especially after the departure of Said Abu Farchi. They see Melamed as a player who can effectively compete with current strikers Ester Sukler and Elad Madmon. The club plans to approach Maccabi Haifa regarding the transfer, acknowledging that the latter will likely create obstacles.

Despite potential difficulties, Maccabi Tel Aviv believes the transfer is feasible if Melamed insists on joining them. His current salary of $350,000 (excluding bonuses) is within Maccabi Tel Aviv's financial reach. While Maccabi Haifa would prefer to sell him to another club, such as Hapoel Hadera, which has also shown interest, they may find it difficult to prevent the move if Melamed strongly pushes for a transfer to Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Maccabi Haifa issued a statement saying, "To date, neither he nor anyone on his behalf has approached us with a request to leave, so this matter is not on the agenda."