Maccabi Haifa's summer-long goalkeeping saga is all but over. Both halves of the club's planned reshuffle — the sale of Heorhiy Yermakov to Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkiv and the return of Israel international Omri Glazer from Red Star Belgrade — have been agreed, an Israeli sports outlet reported on Sunday evening, with the deals expected to take full effect within 48 hours once all parties have signed contracts.
Glazer, a 30-year-old goalkeeper with 23 senior caps for Israel, has agreed a contract for the next four years, according to the report, which puts the fee due to Red Star Belgrade at an estimated 600,000 dollars. The Serbian champions had initially pushed for the Israeli to stay in Belgrade or command a substantially higher price, but subsequent Israeli reports said the club formally cleared him to leave, with a medical examination among the final steps before signing.
The move would open a second spell at the club for Glazer, who was on Maccabi Haifa's books from 2016 to 2021, a period that included a loan at Sektzia Ness Ziona. He established himself as first choice at Hapoel Be'er Sheva between 2021 and 2023 before joining Red Star Belgrade, where he made more than 50 appearances and played European football. His contract in Serbia had been due to run until June 2027.
Travelling in the other direction, at least figuratively, is Yermakov. Metalist will pay three million euros for the 24-year-old Ukrainian, per the report — a figure broadly consistent with earlier Israeli reporting that described an offer of 2.8 million euros rising to three million through add-on clauses. The goalkeeper, who is said to be tripling his wages in Ukraine, leaves Haifa after a single season.
Kyiv-raised and a product of the Shakhtar Donetsk academy, Yermakov arrived in Israeli football via FC Oleksandriya, where he spent a further season on loan after Haifa acquired his rights, before joining up with the Greens' first team and making over 30 appearances last season. His willingness to move had reportedly been secured earlier in the window, with the two clubs left to close the gap on the fee.
It is worth underlining what has and has not happened: both transfers are agreed rather than officially announced. Neither Maccabi Haifa, Red Star Belgrade nor Metalist has confirmed the deals, and the report frames the coming 48 hours — signatures, paperwork and formal unveilings — as the window in which the agreements become official.
For Haifa, the double deal resolves the position that has dominated their summer and lets the recruitment department move on: having completed the signing of Wanderson Tsunami, a left-sided defender who can also cover at left-back, the club has reportedly turned its search toward a right-footed centre-back as preparations for the new season continue.
