Maccabi Netanya Fails to Secure Key Signings Before Transfer Deadline

Maccabi Netanya will not be signing midfielders Habib Keita or Lassine Cissé, as negotiations for both players collapsed on the final day of the transfer window. Keita, a Malian midfielder playing for Kölcsei, was sought after by Netanya, but his current club demanded 700,000 euros, despite the player believing he was a free agent. The contract stipulated that any purchasing club must pay the fee to Toulouse, from whom Keita was originally acquired.

Following the breakdown in talks with Keita, who was proposed by agent Frank Belhasan, Netanya turned to Cissé, a 26-year-old Ivorian midfielder from Italian club Frosinone. Cissé initially agreed to join Netanya, but later withdrew his commitment after receiving offers from Romanian club CFR Cluj and second-division Italian teams.

Despite these setbacks, Maccabi Netanya stated that they will explore the free agent market if a suitable midfielder is not found. Team owner Ruslan Khasin has reportedly given his approval to sign another significant player and expressed strong confidence in coach Roni Levi.

In other team news, William Cyprian, who refused a settlement of several months' salary, will remain with the club. Netanya is also attempting to reach a financial agreement with Itay Ben Shabbat, whose salary they initially refused to cover during his potential loan to Hapoel Petah Tikva. If no new team is found for Ben Shabbat, the club may have to pay his full salary.

Adding to the team's challenges, Dolev Haziza suffered an injury after the loss to Hapoel Ramat Gan and will undergo an MRI, with results expected later in the day, ahead of their match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.