Anan Khalaily Becomes Israel’s Most Expensive Footballer with £28 Million Move to Crystal Palace

Anan Khalaily, the 21-year-old Israeli midfielder and winger, has officially become the most expensive Israeli footballer ever after his transfer from Union Saint-Gilloise to English Premier League club Crystal Palace for approximately 28 million euros. Khalaily was initially set to join Inter Milan but failed the medical tests, leading to his move to the Premier League, widely regarded as the best league in the world.

This transfer surpasses the previous Israeli record held by Munas Dabbur, who moved from Salzburg to Sevilla in the 2019/2020 season for 17 million euros. Khalaily also broke Union Saint-Gilloise’s club record, which was set just last summer when they sold Croatian striker Franjo Ivanović to Benfica for 23 million euros. Additionally, Khalaily ranks as the seventh most expensive signing in Crystal Palace’s history.

Khalaily, who developed at Maccabi Haifa, first gained international attention after excelling with Israel’s U20 team at the 2023 U20 World Cup before transferring to Belgium for around 6.5 million euros. Maccabi Haifa retained a sell-on percentage in the deal with Union Saint-Gilloise and will receive about 4 million euros from this latest transfer.

Crystal Palace finished 15th in the English Premier League last season but won the UEFA Europa Conference League, securing a spot in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League for the upcoming season. Khalaily joins a club aiming not only for European success but also to climb the Premier League standings.