Maccabi Tel Aviv is heading into an unusually difficult summer after years of dominance in the domestic market, and the club is not sure its new sporting director, Stephen Vanner, can solve the problem quickly. The likely departure of captain Dor Peretz is only the first blow, leaving a serious gap in both quality and leadership.
The club is also bracing for more exits. Roy Revivo and Idan Shahar, both standouts last season, want to move to another team. If all three leave, Maccabi could enter next season without leading Israeli players, a situation it has not faced in recent years.
In terms of the transfer market, Maccabi says there are almost no major names available, aside from former player Eli Dasa and striker Sean Weissman. Even then, club officials doubt they can offer either player anything close to the salaries they have been earning under the club’s new policy.
That leaves Vanner and his staff with a narrow task in the foreign-player market. Their first targets are a center back, an attacking midfielder and a striker, and the club believes it must get all three right. Otherwise, officials fear the team could end up weaker than the squad built last season.
