Crystal Palace Sign Anan Khalaili for £21 Million

Crystal Palace have made their move.

The club have confirmed the signing of Israel international Anan Khalaili from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in a deal worth around £21 million, with further add-ons agreed. The 21-year-old wing-back has signed a five-year contract at Selhurst Park, with an option for a further year.

Sage’s rebuild gathers pace

Khalaili becomes the fifth arrival of a busy summer under new manager Pierre Sage, joining Dwight McNeil, Oscar Mingueza, Evann Guessand and Takehiro Tomiyasu in a rapidly reshaped squad.

McNeil arrived in a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson depart, while Mingueza, Guessand and Tomiyasu have added depth and versatility across the pitch. The pattern is clear: Sage wants energy, flexibility and aggression in wide and defensive areas. Khalaili fits that mould.

His signing also lands against the backdrop of reported interest in Daniel Munoz, the club’s first-choice right wing-back. With options on that flank thinning out, Palace have moved decisively.

Maxence Lacroix has already gone to Chelsea, Danny Imray has joined Championship side Wrexham, and long-serving Nathaniel Clyne left when his contract expired. The right side of defence was starting to look bare. Not anymore.

A champion arrives

Khalaili comes in with momentum. Last season he helped Royale Union Saint-Gilloise clinch a historic top-flight title – the club’s first in 90 years – and played his part on the European stage as well.

The youngster, who can also push higher up and operate as an out-and-out winger, scored three times in the Champions League for the Belgian side as they completed a domestic double by lifting the Belgian Cup.

Now he swaps Brussels for south London and a shot at the Premier League.

"I'm happy to be here, I'm excited, and I can't wait to start," Khalaili said after the move was confirmed. "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."

The worst-kept secret on tour

By the time Palace made it official, most supporters had already joined the dots.

Khalaili had been spotted in a Palace tracksuit with the squad at their training camp in Germany, training alongside his new team-mates before the club had announced his arrival. Fans quickly circulated photos and clips, and the club leaned into the growing buzz.

He signed autographs, posed for pictures, and Palace’s social media team teased the inevitable unveiling with a tongue-in-cheek tweet on Saturday morning: “Anyone got a spare autograph book laying around”.

The formal confirmation only rubber-stamped what many had already seen.

Pre-season taking shape

On the pitch, Sage’s first pre-season in charge is beginning to take form. A 3-0 defeat to Bromley was a jolt and hardly the introduction he would have wanted, but the response has been sharp.

Palace have since recorded a 3-1 win over Ula and a 2-1 victory against Fulham, results that hint at growing cohesion as new signings bed in and Sage’s ideas take hold.

Now, with Khalaili added to the mix and the right flank reinforced, the question shifts from who Palace can bring in to how far this remodelled side can push once the real football starts.