Maccabi Tel Aviv are on the verge of adding to their attack, with Israeli reports on Monday indicating that the club have reached a principle agreement to sign Slovenian striker Ester Sokler from Serbian side Radnicki 1923. The framework of the transfer is said to be settled between the two clubs, though the player has not yet put pen to paper and the move should not be treated as complete.
According to the Israeli coverage, the fee involved is in the region of one million euros. That would represent a substantial return for Radnicki, who only turned Sokler's loan from Aberdeen into a permanent transfer in January 2026, and it reflects the impact the forward made across the second half of the Serbian SuperLiga campaign.
The reporting describes the deal as roughly ninety-five per cent complete, with those close to the negotiations expecting matters to be finalised within about forty-eight hours. Israeli outlets have also indicated that Sokler's wages would be upgraded on the terms he holds in Serbia, with figures of around 200,000 to 250,000 euros a year cited, although those numbers have not been formally confirmed by either club.
Sokler, who turned 27 in June, enjoyed the most productive season of his career in 2025-26. Across his loan and permanent spells with Radnicki he registered 15 goals in 29 league appearances, a tally that helped the Kragujevac club preserve their top-flight status after a difficult campaign. That scoring rate is understood to have made him a priority target for Maccabi's recruitment staff.
A native of Krsko in eastern Slovenia, the striker came through at NK Krsko before spells with Brezice, Celje and Radomlje. He moved to Scotland with Aberdeen in the summer of 2023, where he spent close to three seasons and won the 2025 Scottish Cup, before the loan to Serbia reignited his form in front of goal.
At international level Sokler is a recent addition to the senior picture rather than an established name. He earned his first cap for Slovenia in June 2026, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Cyprus, and remains uncapped beyond that single appearance as he looks to build on his breakout club season.
Should the transfer be completed as expected, Sokler would arrive as a central striking option and a reported priority of Maccabi's new sporting leadership. Other clubs, including Sweden's Malmo and Serbia's Partizan Belgrade, were said to have monitored his situation, but for now the momentum is firmly with the Israeli champions. Until the signature is confirmed, however, the deal stays in the advanced-but-pending category.
