Anan Khalaili (, ; born 3 September 2004) is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as a right wing-back, right winger or forward for English club Crystal Palace and the Israel national team.

Early life Anan Khalaili was born in Haifa, Israel, to a Muslim-Arab family who moved there from the Arab town of Sakhnin, Israel."הכי מהיר בחיפה". הכירו את ענאן חלאיילי, כוכב נבחרת הנוער Itay Kashi, The Sport Channel, 31 May 2023 His father Majdi Khalaili is a former footballer, who used to play as a goalkeeper. His younger brother Iyad Khalaili is also a footballer who plays for Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Haifa.

Club career Khalaili joined the academy of local side Beitar Haifa in 2012, spending two seasons before a move to Maccabi Haifa. After a number of seasons with Maccabi Haifa, he spent the 2019–20 season with the Neve Yosef academy, where he scored twenty-five goals in twenty-four games, prompting Maccabi Haifa to recall him. His father, who worked as a coach at local FC Neve Yosef, stated that Maccabi Haifa had initially expected Khalaili to spend two seasons with the academy, but due to his performances, they requested him back after only one season.

Maccabi Haifa On 2 February 2022, Khalaili made his senior debut in the 2–0 win against Hapoel Hadera in the Israel State Cup competition. On 11 July 2023, he scored his debut goal for the senior team in the 4–0 win against Maltese side Ħamrun Spartans in the UEFA Champions League qualifying.

Union SG On 3 April 2024 signed for the Belgian Pro League club Union SG. He contributed to their first Belgian Pro League title in 90 years during the 2024–25 season. He featured in the 2026 Belgian Cup final as his club secured a 3–1 win over Anderlecht after extra time. On 9 December 2025, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goals by netting a brace in a 3–2 defeat against French side Marseille.

On 13 July 2026, Khalaili's move to Inter Milan collapsed after he failed mandatory medical tests in Italy. The examinations, supervised by CONI, found irregularities that prevented him from receiving clearance to play in Italian Serie A. Inter president Giuseppe Marotta stated that the decision was due to Italy's strict health regulations and not the club's choice.

Crystal Palace Khalaili signed with English Premier League club Crystal Palace on 15 August 2026 until 2031, for a reported £21m fee.

International career Khalaili played for the Israel national under-20 team during the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup campaign. During the tournament, he scored the game-winning goal against Uzbekistan and scored the third and final goal of the game against South Korea.

Khalaili made his senior international debut on 15 November 2023 against Switzerland in a 1–1 draw.

Style of play Khalaili is a versatile two-footed right sided player who was mainly a winger in his time at Maccabi Haifa, but after he moved to Union SG, depending on the formation, he transitioned into an effective wing-back. He has also occasionally been deployed as a forward, where he was a prolific goalscorer in his youth days. Khalaili is known for his work rate, dribbling and tactical versatility, combining close ball control and progressive ball carrying with defensive discipline, while creating chances through crosses and key passes.

Career statistics

Club

ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEurope OtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsMaccabi Haifa2021–22Israeli Premier League0010000000102022–23Israeli Premier League0000000000002023–24Israeli Premier League3183221153115215Total3184221153115315Union SG2024–25Belgian Pro League34230—90104722025–26Belgian Pro League38350—83105262026–27Belgian Pro League00——101020Total72580—183301018Crystal Palace2026–27Premier League51000010—61Career total10814122213464116024

International

+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsIsrael202330202460202560202640Total190

Honours Maccabi Haifa Israel Super Cup: 2023

Union SG Belgian Pro League: 2024–25 Belgian Cup: 2025–26 Belgian Super Cup: 2024

External links

References