Crystal Palace Sign Anan Khalaili for £21 Million

Crystal Palace have added to their summer rebuild with the signing of Anan Khalaili from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in a deal worth around £21 million, plus add-ons.

The 21-year-old Israel international has signed a five-year contract at Selhurst Park, with the club holding an option for a further year, as Pierre Sage continues to reshape his squad on the flanks.

Sage’s right side takes shape

Khalaili arrives at a time when Palace’s right side has been under the microscope. The club have held reported interest in Daniel Munoz, their first-choice target at right wing-back, but have now moved decisively for the USG defender, who can also operate higher up the pitch as a winger.

He becomes Sage’s fifth signing of a busy window. Palace have already brought in Dwight McNeil in a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson depart, as well as Oscar Mingueza, Evann Guessand and Takehiro Tomiyasu. The churn has been significant.

Defensive depth on the right had started to look thin. Maxence Lacroix has joined Chelsea, Danny Imray has dropped into the Championship with Wrexham, and long-serving Nathaniel Clyne left when his contract expired. Khalaili steps straight into that gap, offering energy, versatility and a genuine attacking threat from deep.

Title winner with European pedigree

Khalaili arrives in south London off the back of a historic season in Belgium. He played his part as Union Saint-Gilloise secured a first top-flight title in 90 years and added the Belgian Cup to cap a landmark campaign.

On the European stage, he showed he can handle the step up, scoring three times in the Champions League for USG. That output, from wing-back and wide roles, underlines why Palace were prepared to invest heavily in his potential.

Speaking after the move was confirmed, Khalaili made no attempt to hide his excitement.

"I'm happy to be here, I'm excited, and I can't wait to start," he said. "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."

Already in the camp

The deal has been an open secret among Palace supporters for days. Khalaili had already linked up with his new team-mates before the club made the transfer official, spotted in a Palace tracksuit during the squad’s training camp in Germany.

He spent time signing autographs and posing for photos, prompting the club’s media team to lean into the inevitable. Palace teased the announcement with a tongue-in-cheek tweet on Saturday morning: "Anyone got a spare autograph book laying around?"

The formal unveiling has now caught up with reality. The work on the pitch is already under way.

Pre-season gathers momentum

Sage’s tenure did not begin smoothly. A 3-0 defeat to Bromley was a jolt and an early reminder of the task facing the new manager. Since then, Palace have steadied themselves.

They have responded with a 3-1 win over Ula and a 2-1 victory against Fulham, results that suggest Sage’s ideas are starting to land. Khalaili now joins that process at a crucial moment, with the Premier League season looming and the right flank still being rebuilt.

Palace wanted more thrust, more depth, more edge down that side. They have paid for it. Now the question is simple: how quickly can Anan Khalaili turn potential into Premier League impact?