Crystal Palace Sign Anan Khalaili From Union Saint-Gilloise South London 2026

Key Points

• Premier League club Crystal Palace have officially announced the signing of 21-year-old Israeli international winger Anan Khalaili from Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
• The player has agreed to a long-term five-year contract at Selhurst Park, which runs until 2031 and includes an option for a further one-year extension.
• British media outlets report the transfer fee to be valued at approximately 24.5 million euros (£21 million / $28 million), establishing the transaction as the most expensive transfer fee ever paid for an Israeli footballer.
• The move to London comes just weeks after a proposed transfer to Italian champions Inter Milan collapsed following mandatory cardiovascular and medical examinations required under Italian sports regulation.
• Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta confirmed during a pre-season press conference that the move fell through due to strict national legislative medical requirements enforced by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).
• Khalaili becomes the fifth major summer signing for manager Pierre Sage’s Crystal Palace squad, following the arrivals of Óscar Mingueza, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Dwight McNeil, and Evann Guessand.

South London (South London News) August 15, 2026 – Premier League outfit Crystal Palace have completed the transfer of Israeli international winger Anan Khalaili from Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on a five-year contract, subject to international clearance. The 21-year-old wide player, who primarily operates on the right side of the pitch as a winger or wing-back, arrives at Selhurst Park for a reported fee of 24.5 million euros (£21 million / $28 million). The agreement includes an option for an additional twelve-month extension, tying the player to the South London club until at least June 2031. The completion of the deal comes four weeks after a multi-million-euro transfer to Serie A side Inter Milan collapsed during final medical assessments in Italy.

Why did Anan Khalaili’s proposed transfer to Inter Milan collapse?

The highly publicised transfer of Khalaili to Italian champions Inter Milan was called off in July after the player failed to obtain the necessary medical fitness clearance.

As reported by The Associated Press, Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta clarified the situation during a media conference, stating that the breakdown was governed by national statutory bodies rather than internal club testing.

As reported by Giuseppe Marotta, president of Inter Milan, via The Associated Press:

“The Sports Medicine Centre in Milan informed us of this. For privacy reasons, I cannot give further details, but I must point out that Italy has very strict health protection laws. Italy has very strict legislation protecting players’ health, with decisions made by an independent body rather than the club’s medical staff. We have to abide by this decision. It is a case of force majeure. We simply have to respect it, because this concerns the protection of the player’s health. Without this fitness certificate, no citizen is allowed to take part in an official sporting activity.”

As reported by Ynet News, the 21-year-old had undergone initial orthopedic assessments at Humanitas Hospital in Milan before presenting to the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) sports medicine institute. Under Italian law, all professional athletes must undergo strict cardiopulmonary tests to receive competitive sporting clearance.

Following further tests requested by CONI, Italian medical authorities declined to issue the required fitness certification. Consequently, Inter Milan withdrew from the agreed deal, which was reported by The Brussels Times to be worth in excess of 25 million euros plus performance-related bonuses.

How did Crystal Palace secure the signature of the winger?

Following the termination of negotiations with Inter Milan, Khalaili returned to Belgium, where he remained fully cleared to compete for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise under Belgian health regulations.

As reported by The Times of Israel, several Premier League teams subsequently entered discussions with the player’s representatives, including Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Newcastle United, before Crystal Palace successfully finalized terms with the Belgian club.

As reported by the Evening Standard, Khalaili had joined up with the Crystal Palace squad during their pre-season training camp in Germany prior to the formal announcement by the club. Upon his official unveiling on the Crystal Palace website, Khalaili expressed his enthusiasm for joining the English top flight.

As reported by Crystal Palace’s official media channels, Anan Khalaili stated:

“I’m happy to be here, I’m excited, and I can’t wait to start. I’ve followed the Premier League – it’s a new challenge for me – and I’ve followed Crystal Palace for a long time. I’m happy to be here. They have deserved to win three trophies and I want to do more.”

As reported by the Evening Standard, Khalaili’s arrival reinforces a defensive and attacking flank that had seen recent departures, including Nathaniel Clyne following the expiration of his contract, Danny Imray moving to Wrexham, and Maxence Lacroix transferring to Chelsea.

What is Anan Khalaili’s professional background and statistical track record?

Khalaili developed through the youth system of his hometown team, Maccabi Haifa, where he made his senior breakthrough by scoring 15 goals in 52 senior appearances and winning the 2023 Israeli Super Cup. In the summer of 2024, Belgian Pro League club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise secured his transfer for an estimated fee of 6.5 million euros.

During his tenure in Brussels, Khalaili established himself as a versatile wide player capable of featuring as an attacking winger or right wing-back. In the 2024–25 season, he contributed to Union Saint-Gilloise winning their first Belgian league championship in 90 years.

During the 2025–26 campaign, he helped the club lift the Belgian Cup and made 46 total appearances, recording six goals and five assists across all competitions.

His European performances included three goals in seven UEFA Champions League fixtures during the opening stage, featuring a two-goal performance against Olympique de Marseille in December. On the international stage, Khalaili has earned 16 senior caps for the Israel national team.

How does Khalaili fit into Crystal Palace’s summer transfer activity?

Khalaili represents the fifth major acquisition for Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window under manager Pierre Sage. His arrival follows four earlier senior squad additions:

• Óscar Mingueza – Joined on a free transfer to strengthen defensive options.
• Takehiro Tomiyasu – Signed on a free transfer to bolster full-back depth.
• Dwight McNeil – Acquired via a player-swap transaction involving Brennan Johnson.
• Evann Guessand – Signed to strengthen forward options.

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Background of the particular development

The acquisition of Anan Khalaili marks a significant financial milestone in Israeli sports history, setting a record transfer valuation for an Israeli footballer at 24.5 million euros.

The transaction reflects a growing trend of European clubs sourcing talent from the Belgian Pro League, where Union Saint-Gilloise have established a record of acquiring young talent and selling them to top-five European leagues.

The transfer also highlights the operational differences in medical compliance across European football associations.

While Italy’s CONI enforces centralized national cardiovascular standards that led to the cancellation of Khalaili’s move to Inter Milan, English Premier League medical protocols allow individual club medical departments to conduct their own risk assessments and determinations regarding player fitness.

Crystal Palace’s medical staff subsequently approved the transfer, clearing the way for the five-year agreement to be finalized.

Prediction: How this development can affect Crystal Palace and their supporters

The integration of Anan Khalaili into Pierre Sage’s tactical setup is expected to directly impact Crystal Palace’s tactical flexibility, squad depth, and performance across domestic and European competitions.

For Crystal Palace, Khalaili’s ability to operate both as an orthodox winger and as a right wing-back provides immediate depth following squad departures on the right flank.

His European experience from UEFA Champions League campaigns with Union Saint-Gilloise provides the squad with valuable continental exposure as they prepare for their upcoming UEFA Europa League fixtures.

If his transition to English football matches his physical output in Belgium—where he logged nearly 3,800 minutes across 46 matches last season—his presence will allow the coaching staff to rotate key structural positions without sacrificing dynamic pace on the counter-attack.

For the supporters and broader audience of Crystal Palace, the high-profile recruitment underlines the club hierarchy’s intention to re-invest transfer capital directly into young talent with resale potential.

However, supporters will closely monitor how the technical staff manages his physical workload, given the intense schedule of Premier League and European fixtures following the public debate surrounding his medical evaluations in Italy.