Maccabi Haifa Pursues Karim Jaber Amidst Maccabi Netanya's Reluctance to Release Captain
Karim Jaber, a 26-year-old defender and captain of Maccabi Netanya, has been a key player for the club over seven seasons. Despite his relatively young age, he is one of the team's veterans and a regular starter. However, at the start of the current season, Jaber's position in the starting lineup weakened, beginning during the team's training camp in Poland and continuing through Toto Cup group stage matches. In the latest game against Hapoel Petah Tikva, teammate Amit Cohen started as right back instead of Jaber, even with Alon Azougi injured. Other defenders like Itay Ben Shabat and goalkeeper Omer Nir'on have also been sidelined or are expected to leave.
Maccabi Netanya reinforced their defense this summer by signing Portuguese goalkeeper Samuel Silva and defenders Azougi and Grigory Morozov, reflecting coach Ronny Levy's dissatisfaction with last season's defensive performance. Netanya finished seventh, the highest in the lower playoff, but conceded 63 goals, a tally comparable to relegated teams.
Jaber is under contract with Netanya for two more years. Recently, Maccabi Haifa expressed interest in acquiring him, reportedly offering around 500,000 shekels plus a player loan or transfer. Haifa's potential trade candidates include Itay Ehud, Peter Agba, Zohar Zasno, Goni Naor, and Daniel Golani. However, Netanya demands at least 2 million shekels and insists no official offer has been received. Discussions may be ongoing with Jaber's agent, Dudu Dahan.
Netanya values Jaber highly as a key squad member and is not willing to release him easily. Despite his recent dip in form, the club believes under Levy's coaching he can regain his starting role. The presence of two strong defenders like Azougi and Jaber is seen as beneficial competition. While currently a Netanya player, a transfer to Haifa remains possible if terms meet Netanya's expectations. The Israeli transfer window remains open until mid-September, leaving time for negotiations.
Summary: Maccabi Haifa is interested in signing Maccabi Netanya captain Karim Jaber, who has lost his starting spot this season. Netanya demands a high transfer fee and has not received an official offer, but talks continue as the transfer window remains open.
Points: - Karim Jaber, Maccabi Netanya captain, lost his starting position this season. - Maccabi Haifa offered about 500,000 shekels plus a player in exchange for Jaber. - Netanya demands at least 2 million shekels and has not received an official offer. - Jaber is under contract with Netanya for two more years. - Netanya believes Jaber can regain form and is reluctant to release him. - The Israeli transfer window closes mid-September, allowing ongoing negotiations.
topic: sports israel_relevant: true entities: {"people": ["Karim Jaber", "Ronny Levy", "Amit Cohen", "Alon Azougi", "Itay Ben Shabat", "Omer Nir'on", "Samuel Silva", "Dudu Dahan", "Itay Ehud", "Peter Agba", "Zohar Zasno", "Goni Naor", "Daniel Golani"], "organizations": ["Maccabi Netanya", "Maccabi Haifa", "Hapoel Petah Tikva"], "places": ["Poland", "Israel"]}}
