Maccabi Tel Aviv Pursues Belgian Winger Thibo Baeten Amid Ongoing Negotiations

Maccabi Tel Aviv continues negotiations with Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles to sign Belgian winger Thibo Baeten, according to Dutch media outlet Voetbal International. Although Go Ahead Eagles rejected Maccabi's initial offer, Baeten himself is eager to join the Israeli club and play in Israel. Maccabi aims to acquire Baeten on loan with an option to buy, potentially turning into an obligation, but no agreement has yet been reached with the Dutch club, which holds Baeten under contract until summer 2029.

Baeten, 24, previously played for Belgian club Beerschot during the 2022/23 season, where he had his best career year, scoring 14 goals across all competitions. He was then signed by Dutch club NEC Nijmegen but was immediately sold to Go Ahead Eagles for 400,000 euros. In the 2023/24 Eredivisie season, Baeten recorded two assists in 26 matches without scoring. He was loaned to Roda JC in the second division, contributing seven goals and three assists in 34 games, before returning to Go Ahead Eagles, where he scored once and assisted three times in 20 league appearances. This season, Baeten played 15 minutes as a substitute in Go Ahead Eagles' 4-1 home win over Willem II.

Baeten developed in the youth systems of Club Brugge and Torino and has represented Belgium at various youth levels, scoring six goals in 15 matches for the U17 team, four goals in four matches for the U18 team, and making one appearance for the U21 team. The ongoing talks reflect Maccabi Tel Aviv's interest in strengthening their squad ahead of the European competition qualifiers.

Summary: Maccabi Tel Aviv is negotiating to sign Belgian winger Thibo Baeten from Go Ahead Eagles, with the player keen to join despite the Dutch club rejecting the initial offer. Baeten has a strong youth international background and a solid scoring record in Belgium's second division. Talks continue as Maccabi seeks a loan deal with a purchase option.

Points: - Maccabi Tel Aviv is in ongoing talks to sign Belgian winger Thibo Baeten from Go Ahead Eagles. - Go Ahead Eagles rejected Maccabi's initial offer, but Baeten wants to move to Israel. - The deal is planned as a loan with an option or obligation to buy, with no agreement yet. - Baeten scored 14 goals in 2022/23 with Beerschot and has Eredivisie and second-division experience. - He played for Belgium's youth national teams, scoring notably at U17 and U18 levels. - Baeten appeared briefly this season in Go Ahead Eagles' opening match win.

Topic: sports Israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people": ["Thibo Baeten"], "organizations": ["Maccabi Tel Aviv", "Go Ahead Eagles", "Beerschot", "NEC Nijmegen", "Roda JC", "Club Brugge", "Torino"], "places": ["Israel", "Belgium", "Netherlands"]}