Anan Khalaili was back on a football pitch on Saturday for the first time since his headline-grabbing move to Inter Milan fell apart, and he needed only a few minutes to make his mark. The Israeli winger came off the bench for Union Saint-Gilloise and teed up the goal that beat Lille 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at Stade Joseph Marien in Brussels.

Louis Patris had put the Belgian champions ahead in the 25th minute before Lille, reduced to ten men after Saad Boussadia was sent off just after the half-hour, equalised through Gaëtan Perrin midway through the second half. Union SG restored their lead soon after, and this time an Israeli boot was involved in the build-up.

Khalaili was introduced in the 72nd minute and within two minutes had set up Besfort Zeneli for what proved the winning goal, ONE reported. It was a low-key stage for the 21-year-old's comeback — a summer friendly rather than a competitive fixture — but a significant one given the turbulent few weeks he has just had.

Khalaili had appeared set to complete a move to Inter Milan after the Serie A club reportedly beat Napoli to an agreement with Union Saint-Gilloise. According to Israeli reports, the transfer collapsed at the medical stage after Italy's Olympic committee, CONI, withheld the fitness clearance he needed to be registered — a rare and unusual reason for a deal of that size to fall through.

With Inter out of the picture, attention has swung back to Napoli, who Israeli outlets report have already reached an agreement with Khalaili on personal terms and are now negotiating with Union Saint-Gilloise over a fee. The Belgian club is said to be holding out for around €25 million, while Napoli's offer stands at roughly €18 million plus add-ons.

Khalaili joined Union Saint-Gilloise from Maccabi Haifa in the summer of 2024 for around €7.5 million and has since become one of the most sought-after Israeli players in Europe, helping the Belgian side to the league title and, this past season, the Belgian Cup.

For now, with his next club still unresolved, Saturday's outing offered a reminder of why so many clubs are chasing his signature — and gave Union Saint-Gilloise's coaching staff a timely reassurance ahead of the new season that their prized winger remains sharp, whoever ends up paying for him.