Premier League sides Crystal Palace and Newcastle United reportedly made attempts to sign Anan Khalaili before he agreed to join Inter Milan.
The Union Saint-Gilloise star’s move to Inter Milan stirred some controversy due to his Israeli nationality. However, Khalaili has now decided to make the move to the Nerazzurri, with Fabrizio Romano confirming the deal for €25 million plus add-ons.
The 21-year-old plays on the right side of midfield, having featured in 51 games across all competitions for Union Saint-Gilloise, with six goals and six assists. Inter Milan view Khalaili as a wing-back, a position where his game can develop further.
Inter Milan missed out on the signing of Marco Palestra, who eventually joined Chelsea. Some reports suggested the former Atalanta man wanted to play for the Nerazzurri, but Chelsea’s lucrative wage package won the deal.
Having agreed a deal to sell Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid, Inter had been looking to bring in a replacement. They then identified Khalaili as the ideal option and have now gathered the funds to complete the deal.
Premier League clubs showed interest
According to Khalaili’s father, Majdi Khalaili, his son had significant offers from Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace and Newcastle United. Speaking on 103FM, Majdi outlined competing interests:
“There were a lot of inquiries from teams. Now I’m telling you that we can already talk about it: Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Ipswich, who valued him at €30 million, and he didn’t want to.
“The Belgians were a bit insistent, saying there was a high price tag. Then suddenly Cagliari, Atalanta, Napoli and many other teams got involved.”
He also explained why Anan chose Inter Milan, suggesting that the player’s Champions League performances may have played an important role in the Italian club’s decision-making.
He continued, “What gave Inter the strength to go all out for him was the Champions League; they saw him there. He finished second in tackles, second in ground and aerial battles, and second in recovering deep balls and key balls. He broke all the records there.”
Crystal Palace had been looking for a right-sided defender ahead of the summer and have since signed Oscar Mingueza on a free transfer. The Eagles may have seen an opportunity to sign Anan in the summer, with the €30 million-rated attacker showing plenty of promise and room to improve in the future.
Newcastle United fear losing Tino Livramento in the summer and had previously been linked with Anan as a potential option for the right side of their pitch. Both have missed out to Inter Milan.
