Maccabi Haifa Nears Deal for Hapoel Petah Tikva Captain Omer Katz

Maccabi Haifa is close to signing Omer Katz, the captain and goalkeeper of Hapoel Petah Tikva, as their second-choice goalkeeper behind Omri Glazer. According to Sport Channel, Katz has agreed in principle to terms with Maccabi Haifa, while negotiations between the clubs continue. Haifa has offered half a million shekels in transfer fees plus a loan deal for player Itay Ahuad as part of the deal. However, Hapoel Petah Tikva is hesitant to release Katz quickly due to the difficulty of finding a replacement goalkeeper, despite having Roy Sasson as a backup who is well regarded.

Katz, 28, began his career at Maccabi Herzliya's academy before moving to Maccabi Tel Aviv from 2009 to 2017. He made his professional debut with Hapoel Ramat Hasharon and later played for Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla. Since the 2020/2021 season, Katz has been a key player for Hapoel Petah Tikva, accumulating 176 appearances across all competitions. The transfer talks are ongoing with no final agreement yet, as both clubs weigh their options regarding the captain's potential move.