Crystal Palace Sign Anan Khalaili for Record Fee

Crystal Palace have moved decisively to snap up Anan Khalaili, sealing a deal worth a reported €24.5 million ($28 million) with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and making the 21-year-old winger the most expensive Israeli signing in history.

The club confirmed on Saturday that Khalaili has signed a five-year contract at Selhurst Park, with the move still “subject to international clearance.”

A month ago, he was on the brink of joining Inter Milan. That transfer collapsed in dramatic fashion when Inter president Giuseppe Marotta revealed at a press conference that Khalaili had not been granted medical clearance by Italy’s independent health authorities, despite an agreement between the clubs.

“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,” Marotta said at the time.

Inter walked away. Palace stepped in.

“I’m happy to be here, I’m excited, and I can’t wait to start,” Khalaili 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.”

Palace chairman Steve Parish underlined the club’s belief in their new signing, describing the deal as a major coup for the London side.

“We are very excited to have completed this signing and we are delighted that Anan has chosen to continue his journey with Crystal Palace,” Parish said.

Khalaili, who operates mainly from the right flank, came through the ranks at hometown club Maccabi Haifa before earning his move to Union Saint-Gilloise in 2024. His rise has been rapid: 16 caps for Israel already, and now a high-profile switch to the Premier League.

For Palace, he becomes the fifth arrival of an active summer window, following Óscar Mingueza, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Dwight McNeil and Evann Guessand, as the squad is reshaped with pace, versatility and youth.

Inter’s loss now lands in south London. The question is simple: how quickly can Khalaili turn that record fee into end product in the league he has been watching from afar for so long?