Anan Khalaili's chaotic transfer summer has taken another turn: Sport5 reports that Nottingham Forest have had a bid of around €20 million rejected by Union Saint-Gilloise for the Israeli winger, citing The Athletic.
The Forest package is said to break down as €17.5 million guaranteed plus a further €2.5 million in performance-related add-ons — a sum the Belgian champions consider well short of the player's value, and comfortably below the €25 million fee Inter Milan had already agreed for him earlier this month.
That Inter deal, which would have been the most expensive transfer of an Israeli player in history, collapsed after Khalaili was denied medical clearance by Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI). He had passed Inter's own medical at Humanitas Hospital, but follow-up cardiac screening required under Italy's stricter registration protocols flagged an irregularity that kept him from being cleared to play in Serie A.
Doctors involved in the process noted that such findings on cardiac screening have become increasingly common since the pandemic, reportedly turning up in roughly one in three or four players tested, and usually requiring specialist review before any final sign-off. Crucially, the finding does not stop him playing in Belgium, and he returned to Union Saint-Gilloise duty without restriction.
Speaking after the Inter move fell apart, a frustrated Khalaili insisted there was nothing wrong with him. "I feel healthy and good," he said, pointing to a heavy workload over the past two seasons as evidence of his fitness.
Khalaili, 21, joined Union Saint-Gilloise from Maccabi Haifa in the summer of 2024 for around €6.5 million, a move that has paid off spectacularly for the Belgian club. He made 52 appearances last season, contributing six goals and six assists as Union SG competed in the Champions League.
The right-sided attacker has also become a regular for Israel, winning 15 caps for the national team as his stock has risen rapidly on the continent.
Nottingham Forest's opening approach is unlikely to be their last word if they remain serious. English interest in Khalaili has been building since the Inter collapse, with Newcastle United and other Premier League clubs reported to be monitoring his situation.
For now, Union Saint-Gilloise appear determined to hold out for a fee closer to what Inter were prepared to pay, leaving Khalaili's next move — and the size of the record it might set — still unresolved.
