Inter Milan Nears Signing Israeli Anan Khalaily Amid Intense Negotiations

Inter Milan is close to finalizing the transfer of Israeli footballer Anan Khalaily, with the deal expected to be completed within the coming week. According to Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport, negotiations have accelerated recently, and Khalaily is described as being "within touching distance" of signing a five-year contract with Inter. The player's salary is reported to be just under 2 million euros per season, structured as a rising contract.

The transfer fee agreed upon with Khalaily's current club, Union Saint-Gilloise, stands at 25 million euros. This week, the two clubs are set to hold further talks to finalize bonus distributions and other remaining details. Maccabi Haifa, which previously sold Khalaily to Union Saint-Gilloise, stands to gain significantly from the transfer due to a clause entitling them to 15% of the Belgian club's profit from the player's sale, potentially earning Haifa millions of euros.

Initially, Union Saint-Gilloise attempted to raise the asking price to 30 million euros to spark a bidding war with Napoli, but Napoli withdrew, allowing negotiations with Inter to proceed at the original price. Inter's coach, Christian Kivou, is reportedly pressing to complete the transfer immediately, aiming to have Khalaily join the team for their training camp in Germany in ten days. Kivou envisions Khalaily as a key player on the right wing, balancing Federico Dimarco on the left.

Further indication that the transfer is imminent came when Khalaily was left out of Union Saint-Gilloise's squad for a friendly match against Steaua Bucharest. While the club cited a "minor injury," Italian media suggest this was a precaution to protect the player ahead of his expected flight to Milan once the deal is finalized.