Crystal Palace are closing in on the signing of Anan Khalaili, and according to ONE the club's pursuit of the Israel international came down to a simple conviction: he is a "natural fit" for the way Oliver Glasner wants his team to play.
The Eagles have reportedly agreed a fee of around £21m with Union Saint-Gilloise, with Khalaili already through a medical in England and personal terms settled on a five-year contract that includes the option of a further season. Reports value the deal at closer to €25-28m once add-ons are factored in, and while the clubs have yet to confirm the numbers publicly, respected transfer reporter David Ornstein described Palace as being "in the process of finalising" the move.
The appeal, as ONE and other outlets covering the deal have framed it, is Khalaili's blend of pace, directness and end product operating from a right-sided role - qualities that slot neatly into Glasner's 3-4-2-1, a system built around attacking wing-backs who overload the opposition's flank. At Union Saint-Gilloise, Khalaili spent last season doing exactly that, and the profile translated straightforwardly to what Palace are trying to build.
Getting there wasn't straightforward for Palace, who saw off competition from Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United to land him. Inter Milan had also been in the picture earlier in the summer and looked close to signing him for a fee in the same region, only for the move to collapse after Khalaili reportedly failed elements of his medical - a cardiopulmonary irregularity flagged during testing in Italy that the Serie A club never revived talks around.
That collapse left Khalaili's summer in limbo for weeks before Palace stepped in. The 21-year-old, born in Haifa, made his way through Maccabi Haifa's system before loan spells including at second-division Hapoel Hadera, then left for Belgium and Union Saint-Gilloise, where he established himself as one of the most productive wide players in the Belgian Pro League - contributing around a dozen goal involvements last season across close to 50 appearances.
The transfer, once completed, would make Khalaili the most expensive Israeli player in history, surpassing previous benchmarks for a national team player moving abroad, and it would leave him as the only Israeli currently on a Premier League roster.
He already has 16 caps for Israel's senior national team, and his emergence has been tracked closely by English media over the past year as one of European football's more sought-after young wide players - hence the multi-club chase that ultimately fell Palace's way.
Formal confirmation and unveiling are still pending, with reports in Israel suggesting a presentation could follow within days once the paperwork between Palace and Union Saint-Gilloise is finalized. Until then, the deal remains one being reported rather than officially announced by either club.
