Maccabi Tel Aviv Pursues Israeli Striker Amid Transfer Window Deadline

Maccabi Tel Aviv's professional manager, Steven N'Zonzi, is not content with merely securing a foreign winger to replace Moldovan striker Ion Nicolaescu, who was loaned to Hapoel Ramat Gan. With only four days remaining until the transfer window closes on Wednesday evening, N'Zonzi is actively seeking to sign an Israeli forward in addition to Morgan Bailly, who is expected to join as the eighth foreign player.

Two prominent Israeli forwards, Guy Melamed and Alon Turgeman, have been targets, but both their clubs, Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Haifa respectively, have refused to release them. N'Zonzi has not abandoned these pursuits and is exploring other Israeli options.

Maccabi Tel Aviv currently has only two natural strikers, Ester Sukler and Elad Madmon, in their squad. N'Zonzi recognizes this is insufficient for a long season, even with the team focusing solely on domestic competitions this year after failing to qualify for European play.

The coming days are crucial for the club as they aim to finalize their squad before the September 16 transfer deadline. Meanwhile, the team is preparing for their derby match, with coach Kenny Miller likely to field the same starting lineup that secured a significant victory last week.