Inter Milan Nears Signing Israeli Anan Khalaily as Coach Kibu Pushes for Quick Transfer

Inter Milan is close to finalizing the transfer of Israeli player Anan Khalaily, with the deal expected to be completed within the coming week. According to an extensive report by Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday, negotiations have accelerated significantly, and Khalaily is described as being "within touching distance" of officially signing with Inter. The club has reportedly agreed on a five-year contract with Khalaily, offering him a salary of just under 2 million euros per season on a rising scale.

The transfer fee agreed with Khalaily's current club, Union Saint-Gilloise, stands at 25 million euros. This week, the two clubs are set to hold further direct talks to finalize bonus distributions and other remaining details. Maccabi Haifa, which previously sold Khalaily to Union Saint-Gilloise, stands to gain substantially from the deal due to a clause entitling them to 15% of any future profit made by the Belgian club on the player, potentially earning them millions of euros.

Initially, Union Saint-Gilloise attempted to raise the asking price to 30 million euros to spark a bidding war with Napoli, but Napoli withdrew, allowing negotiations with Inter to proceed at the original price. Inter's coach, Christian Kibu, is reportedly pressing to complete the transfer immediately, aiming to have Khalaily join the team for their training camp in Germany in ten days. Kibu envisions Khalaily as a key player on the right wing, balancing Federico Dimarco on the left.

Further indication that the transfer is imminent came when Khalaily was left out of Union Saint-Gilloise's squad for a friendly match against Steaua Bucharest. While the club officially cited a "minor injury," Gazzetta dello Sport clarified that this was a strategic decision to protect Khalaily from injury ahead of his expected flight to Milan once the deal is finalized.