Israeli Football Breaks Transfer Records with Douglas Aveso Signing in Summer 2026

The summer of 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in the history of Israeli football. On August 5, Hapoel Tel Aviv announced the signing of Douglas Aveso for 2.2 million euros, marking a new record for transfer fees in the Israeli Premier League. This summer has already seen five players transferred for over 1.5 million euros each, a historic high for the league. In total, six players have been transferred for over one million euros so far, with more high-profile foreign signings expected from Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Be'er Sheva as they complete their squads.

Be'er Sheva sold Kings Kangwa for 3.8 million euros, the highest fee this summer, while Maccabi Tel Aviv is anticipated to make significant purchases, especially if key players Tyrese Asante and Roy Revivo depart. To date, Israeli Premier League clubs have sold players for a combined 19.9 million euros and bought players for 12.1 million euros this summer. Last summer, clubs spent 21 million euros on acquisitions and earned 26.6 million euros from sales. With over a month left in the transfer window, these figures are expected to rise further.

Douglas Aveso's transfer ranks as the fourth most expensive in Israeli Premier League history, behind Vidar Kjartansson, Predrag Rajković, and Matías Nahuel. Notably, five of the 30 most expensive transfers in Israeli football history have occurred in the current summer window, with expectations for two or three more high-value deals before the window closes. The number of transfers exceeding 1.5 million euros has increased significantly in recent years, with none in 2023 and 2022, but four or five in each of the last three summers.