Bnei Sakhnin's manager, Yossi Abukasis, has admitted this summer's recruitment drive has left him frustrated, saying overseas targets keep turning down good offers to move to Israel.
"We are very short on players, we have young players from the youth ranks. There are things that are not in our control," Abukasis said, according to ONE. "We offer nice proposals to foreign players who decide not to come to Israel. It disappoints me."
Abukasis, who took over at Sakhnin in February, is currently overseeing a preseason training camp in Hungary as the club prepares for the return of Ligat Ha'Al action, with the squad still short of reinforcements in key positions.
The club is actively working to add both a defender and a forward from abroad. Among the names linked is striker William Agada, who spent a loan spell at Hapoel Haifa in the 2020-21 season and, per ONE, has again attracted interest from Haifa this summer — though a deal for Sakhnin has proven difficult to advance.
Reluctance among foreign players to relocate to Israel has been a recurring theme across the league since the outbreak of war in October 2023, and Abukasis's comments suggest it remains a live obstacle for a club outside the traditional top tier trying to compete for value signings.
On the players already through the door, ONE reports Lithuanian arrival Modestas Vorobjovas has made a stronger early impression than fellow new signing Carlitos, giving Abukasis at least some options as he shapes his squad for the campaign ahead.
With preseason friendlies approaching, the coach's frustration underlines the practical squeeze facing Sakhnin: a threadbare group leaning on academy graduates while trying to close gaps at both ends of the pitch before the new Ligat Ha'Al season gets under way.
