Maccabi Tel Aviv have finally landed the striker they chased for weeks, confirming the signing of Slovenian forward Ester Sokler from Serbian club Radnički 1923 in a deal ONE reports is worth around €1 million.
ONE's angle on the story leans on an unlikely piece of geography: Sokler grew up in Krško, barely 30 kilometres from Radeče, the hometown of Manchester United's rising star Benjamin Šeško. The two even played for the same club for close to two years, per the report, before their careers forked in very different directions.
The Israeli champions have signed Sokler, 27, on a two-year contract with a club option for two further seasons, with local reporting putting his wages at roughly €350,000 a season. He has been handed the number 9 shirt.
Sokler's route to Tel Aviv was not a smooth upward curve. He came through Krško's youth ranks before spells at Brežice 1919, Celje and Radomlje in Slovenia, then joined Aberdeen in 2023 for a reported six-figure fee.
Scotland did not go to plan. Despite manager Jimmy Thelin publicly praising his work rate and calling him one of the club's best defensive forwards, Sokler managed only three goals in 49 league appearances for Aberdeen, mostly from the bench.
The revival came in Serbia. Sent to Radnički 1923 on loan, he scored six goals in his first 12 matches and prompted the club to make the move permanent for around €200,000. He finished the 2025/26 season with 15 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions, including two hat-tricks, and helped Radnički survive a relegation fight.
That form also earned him a first senior cap for Slovenia, coming off the bench in a 1-1 friendly draw with Cyprus in June.
Scouting reports describe a hardworking, off-the-ball forward with good movement and positioning rather than a natural creator — the kind of striker who thrives on service rather than manufacturing his own chances, which will put pressure on Maccabi's midfield to supply him.
"I'm proud to join Maccabi, a club with a rich history and big ambitions," Sokler said in a statement carried by the club. "I know what's expected here, and that's exactly what attracted me to this challenge."
For Maccabi Tel Aviv, the deal ends a transfer saga that had run for weeks, with Israeli outlets reporting on and off throughout July that a move for the Slovenia international was close. He now becomes the club's central attacking option heading into the new season.
