Hapoel Tel Aviv Signs Record-Breaking Midfielder Douglas Aveso Amid Knee Injury Rumors

Hapoel Tel Aviv has completed the most expensive signing in its history by acquiring 20-year-old Ghanaian midfielder Douglas Aveso from Red Star Belgrade for 2.5 million euros. Standing at 1.65 meters, Aveso is known for his talent and dribbling skills. The transfer faced challenges due to rumors of a knee injury that allegedly caused him to fail medical tests at Viktoria Plzen. These rumors were reportedly spread by senior figures in Israeli football, but Hapoel Tel Aviv persisted with the deal.

After Aveso trained normally with Red Star and attended their training camp, Hapoel conducted a comprehensive medical examination in Belgrade, which confirmed his knee was fully healthy. The club also obtained a medical opinion from a Bayern Munich doctor who had previously cleared Aveso. This medical clearance convinced Hapoel to finalize the four-year contract and register him for their upcoming Conference League qualifying match against Polish side Katowice.

The signing is a significant statement by Hapoel's new owner, American billionaire Edmond Safra, who has invested over 30 million shekels in player acquisitions during his two years with the club. Aveso’s transfer is among the four most expensive in Israeli football history, alongside players like Vidar Kjartansson and Predrag Rajkovic. Safra’s strategy focuses on investing heavily in promising young talent, as seen with last summer’s signing of Daniel Daffa for 2 million euros.

Aveso was brought in to replace Louiso, who was sold to Red Star for 4 million euros. Despite interest from Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Maccabi Tel Aviv, the latter offered only a loan deal due to the knee rumors. Hapoel Tel Aviv’s willingness to pay the full transfer fee secured the deal. The club later accused Maccabi affiliates of spreading false injury reports out of frustration.

Aveso’s career began in Ghana’s lower leagues before moving to Serbia’s second division with Radnik Surdulica. After a strong season, he joined Red Star Belgrade but lost his starting spot after nine games. Hapoel plans to use him as a number 10, replacing Louiso, leveraging his speed, dribbling, and finishing skills. Fans are expected to support Hapoel in their home leg against Katowice in Hungary, despite the club recently being fined 40,000 euros and receiving a conditional two-year ban on ticket sales for away UEFA matches due to pyrotechnics used in a previous game against Ludogorets.