Crystal Palace Sign Anan Khalaili for £21 Million
Crystal Palace have their new right flank runner – and they’ve paid a premium to get him.
The club have confirmed the arrival of Anan Khalaili from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in a deal worth around £21 million, with further add-ons agreed. The Israel international signs a five-year contract at Selhurst Park, with an option for a sixth.
Palace move quickly for Khalaili
At 21, Khalaili walks into a position under the spotlight. Palace have been weighing up a move for Daniel Munoz, their first-choice right wing-back target, but have now secured a player who can operate both as a wing-back and higher up the flank.
He becomes the fifth signing of the Pierre Sage era. Dwight McNeil has already arrived in a swap deal for Brennan Johnson, while Oscar Mingueza, Evann Guessand and Takehiro Tomiyasu have also joined as the new manager reshapes his squad.
Defensive depth on the right had started to look thin. Maxence Lacroix has gone to Chelsea, Danny Imray has dropped into the Championship with Wrexham, and Nathaniel Clyne departed when his contract expired. Palace needed a solution. Khalaili is it.
“I’m happy to be here, I’m excited, and I can’t wait to start,” he said after the move was announced. “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.”
Title winner with European pedigree
Khalaili arrives with serious momentum behind him. He played his part in a historic season for Union Saint-Gilloise, helping the Brussels side to a first top-flight title in 90 years. On the European stage he showed his edge, scoring three times in the Champions League as USG also lifted the Belgian Cup.
That blend of domestic success and European exposure is exactly what Palace have been trying to add this summer: players who know how to navigate pressure, not just prospects with potential.
Already in the camp
By the time Palace made it official, the secret was out. Khalaili had already linked up with his new team-mates on their training camp in Germany, spotted in a Palace tracksuit and quickly recognised by travelling supporters.
He signed autographs, posed for photos and effectively soft-launched his own transfer. The club leaned into it, teasing the announcement with a tongue-in-cheek tweet on Saturday morning: “Anyone got a spare autograph book laying around”.
Sage’s early groundwork
On the pitch, Sage’s pre-season has started to take shape. A 3-0 defeat to Bromley in his first outing hinted at teething problems, but Palace have responded with a 3-1 win over Ula and a 2-1 victory against Fulham.
Now, with a new wing-back in the building and competition on the right restored, the question is simple: how quickly can Khalaili turn promise and pedigree into Premier League impact?
