Hapoel Haifa owner Yoav Katz has ruled out any sale of Yaad Gonen this summer, revealing that offers for the young midfielder landed on his desk within hours of the player inspiring a derby win over Maccabi Haifa.
"We received offers on Gonen last night, he is not for sale," Katz told ONE. "I think the right place for him is Hapoel Haifa. The player is not for sale, let's focus on the season."
Katz did not name the clubs behind the approaches, but the timing was pointed: it came the morning after Gonen had produced the standout moment of Saturday's Toto Cup derby at Sammy Ofer Stadium.
Hapoel Haifa raced into a 3-0 lead over their city rivals, with Gonen opening the scoring in the 30th minute with what Israeli outlets described as a genuine wondergoal, curling a 20-metre strike into the top corner after being picked out by Ariel Mendi.
An own goal from Shteinman and a free-kick from Turgeman extended the lead before Maccabi Haifa hit back through Halaili and Azulay inside four minutes, but Hapoel held on for a 3-2 win.
Gonen, 20, operates as Hapoel Haifa's number 10 and has emerged as one of the more eye-catching young talents in Haifa this season, with the club having moved earlier in the year to tie him down to a longer deal rather than risk losing him for a smaller fee.
He remains under contract at the club for the current season plus one further year, giving Hapoel Haifa leverage to resist any approach rather than negotiate from a position of weakness.
Katz also used the interview to praise the club's scouting department, name-checking recruiter Sattov, and stressed that the immediate target is a strong campaign rather than a summer sale — with an eye on reaching the top playoff group.
"Haifa is not Tel Aviv, the derby is more than just a game," Katz added, underlining why keeping hold of a player who has just delivered a derby-defining goal matters as much symbolically as it does on the pitch.
