Crystal Palace Sign Anan Khalaili for £21million

Crystal Palace have moved to strengthen their right flank with the signing of Anan Khalaili from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in a deal worth around £21million, 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’s rebuild gathers pace in south London.

Sage’s fifth signing – and a key one

Khalaili arrives at a time when Palace’s right side badly needed reinforcing. Daniel Muñoz remains the first-choice right wing-back, but behind him the options had thinned out quickly.

• Maxence Lacroix has already gone to Chelsea.
• Danny Imray has dropped into the Championship with Wrexham.
• Nathaniel Clyne has departed at the end of his contract.

For a manager intent on playing with aggressive wing-backs, that is a problem.

So Palace have acted. Khalaili becomes Sage’s fifth signing of the summer, following Dwight McNeil — who joined in a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson leave — plus Oscar Mingueza, Evann Guessand and Takehiro Tomiyasu. The pattern is clear: energy, versatility, and depth across the back line and flanks.

Khalaili fits that brief. Naturally a wing-back, he can also push higher as an out-and-out winger, giving Sage another option in wide attacking areas.

A title winner with European pedigree

Khalaili arrives with a winner’s medal and European goals already on his CV. He played his part as Union Saint-Gilloise claimed a historic league title, their first top-flight crown in 90 years. On the continental stage, he scored three times in the Champions League and helped the Belgian side add the Belgian Cup to their haul.

Now he steps into the Premier League, a challenge he has long had his eye on.

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

Spotted before he was signed

By the time Palace made it official, many supporters already knew something was up.

Khalaili had joined the squad on their training camp in Germany before the club announced the deal, and fans quickly spotted the new face in a Palace tracksuit. He signed autographs, posed for photos and, in doing so, effectively soft-launched his own transfer.

Palace leaned into the moment on social media, teasing the imminent confirmation with a playful tweet asking if anyone had a spare autograph book lying around.

Pre-season gathers momentum

On the pitch, Sage’s tenure started with a jolt — a 3-0 defeat to Bromley that underlined how much work lay ahead. Since then, the response has been sharp. Palace have beaten Ula 3-1 and Fulham 2-1, results that have steadied the mood and hinted at a side beginning to take shape under their new manager.

Now Khalaili steps into that evolving picture, another piece in a rapidly rebuilt right side. The fee, the contract length and the timing all say the same thing: Palace are not just filling a gap. They are betting on a young wing-back to grow with them, and to drive this new era from the flank.