Inter Transfer Market: Anan Khalaili Is Back in the Spotlight—He’s Found a New Team
Anan Khalaili is a new Crystal Palace player. The Israeli fullback, born in 2004—whom Inter Milan reportedly wanted to sign—is leaving the Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise to join the Premier League. “Crystal Palace is pleased to announce the signing of Anan Khalaili from the Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on a long-term contract. The 21-year-old, who has excelled both as a fullback and a winger throughout his career, has signed a contract with the club through 2031, subject to international clearance,” the London-based club announced in a statement.
Khalaili, born in Haifa to an Arab-Israeli family, is following in his father’s footsteps: his father, Majdi, was a goalkeeper. He came up through Maccabi Haifa, where he took his first steps in professional soccer, and then moved to Belgium, where he won a Belgian league title, a Belgian Cup, and a Super Cup with Union Saint-Gilloise. Last season, he played a total of 52 matches, recording 6 goals and 6 assists, including three crucial goals in eight Champions League matches that demonstrated his ability to raise his game on the big stage. He also has 16 caps with the Israeli national team.
Tactically, the young winger is a modern and versatile player: blessed with physical strength and speed, he can play on either flank but performs best as a right winger who cuts inside, with the ability to drift toward the center to look for a shot or a through ball. His versatility allows him to effectively play both as a fullback and as a wide player covering the entire flank, adapting to various tactical systems.
His transfer to Crystal Palace comes at the end of a transfer saga that had been the talk of the town for weeks. Over the summer, both Inter and Napoli had moved decisively to secure his services: the Nerazzurri had reached an agreement with Union Saint-Gilloise for 25 million euros plus bonuses, outbidding their Neapolitan rivals, who had initiated talks as early as last spring with an initial offer of around 18 million. The deal seemed to be in the final stages, but the player’s failure to pass the CONI medical examination forced Inter to definitively give up on him, as announced by President Beppe Marotta himself.
With the Inter deal off the table, Khalaili has now found a new home at Crystal Palace, joining the Premier League on a contract running through 2031. For Inter, the failure to close the deal marked the second missed opportunity on the right flank following that of Marco Palestra, who ended up at Chelsea for approximately fifty million euros: the management team led by Marotta and Ausilio had thus had to shift its focus to other players to fill the void left by Denzel Dumfries, who was sold to Real Madrid.
