Maccabi Haifa's leadership took a moment on Saturday to salute one of its own, as owner and president Yaakov Shahar and chief executive Itzik Ovadia both issued statements celebrating Anan Khalaili's move to Crystal Palace, the biggest transfer in Israeli football history.
"Anan is a great source of pride for Maccabi Haifa," Shahar said, according to ONE. "We saw him grow here as a child, develop as a player and person, and fulfil a dream through talent, hard work, humility and outstanding character. I wish him continued success and am certain Anan will continue to represent himself, his family, Israeli football and Maccabi Haifa with honour."
Khalaili, a 21-year-old winger from a mixed Jewish-Arab neighbourhood in Haifa, came up through the Maccabi Haifa academy and made 30 senior appearances for the club before leaving for Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in 2024, where he went on to make 71 appearances and become a Belgian champion.
CEO Itzik Ovadia framed the transfer as vindication of the club's academy philosophy. "Anan's story reflects what Maccabi Haifa believes in — years of investment in player development, sports values, patience, professionalism and faith in our approach," he said. "Anan's move to Crystal Palace is an emotional moment for the entire Maccabi Haifa family — the coaches who guided him, youth department staff, teammates, club employees and supporters who witnessed his first steps."
Crystal Palace completed the signing from Union Saint-Gilloise this week in a deal reported by British and Israeli media at roughly £21 million (about €24.5m/$28m), a fee that makes Khalaili the most expensive Israeli player ever, well above the roughly £15m Sevilla paid for Munas Dabbur in 2019.
The move to south London capped a turbulent summer for the winger. A proposed transfer to Inter Milan collapsed about a month earlier after Khalaili failed to receive medical clearance from the Italian club, before Crystal Palace stepped in to complete a five-year deal.
For Maccabi Haifa, the sale is as much a marketing moment as a financial one — proof, in the words of its two most senior figures, that a club competing outside Europe's major leagues can still produce and sell a player to the Premier League for a record fee.
