Ukrainian National Player Oleksiy Hutsulyak Declines Maccabi Haifa Offer Again

Maccabi Haifa is seeking to sign a new foreign winger following Manuel Benson's injury. One of their primary targets was 28-year-old Ukrainian national team player Oleksiy Hutsulyak, who recently ended his contract with Polissya Zhytomyr and remains a free agent. According to Ukrainian media reports on August 19, 2026, Haifa made a second attempt to recruit Hutsulyak but was rejected again by the player.

Hutsulyak is a versatile right winger capable of playing across the attack. His previous clubs include Dnipro-1, Karpaty Lviv, and Desna Chernihiv. He has earned 16 caps for Ukraine's senior national team, scoring six goals, and is valued at approximately 3.5 million euros. Over his career, he has accumulated 56 goals and 36 assists in 280 Ukrainian league matches and has represented Ukraine at all youth levels.

His agent, Oleg Avdeyash, recently stated that Hutsulyak demands a salary between one and two million euros annually, depending on the country and club. He noted that the player attracts significant interest, especially as the transfer window nears its close, including from Champions League clubs. For context, Maccabi Haifa's highest-ever salary was paid to Dia Saba at around 600,000 euros per season, while injured winger Manuel Benson signed for about 400,000 euros per season plus a 300,000-euro signing bonus after leaving Burnley.

With Hutsulyak declining their offer again, Maccabi Haifa will need to explore other options to strengthen their squad amid Benson's absence.