Crystal Palace Sign Israel International Khalaili for £21m

Crystal Palace have landed another statement signing, confirming the arrival of Israel international Khalaili from Union Saint-Gilloise in a deal worth a reported £21m, on a contract running until 2031.

The 21-year-old, who already has 16 caps for his country, brings exactly the kind of versatility Palace have been quietly stockpiling all summer. Comfortable both as a full-back and as a winger, he offers Sage options on either flank and at both ends of the pitch.

His path to south London has been rapid and ruthless. Khalaili first broke through at Maccabi Haifa, scoring 15 goals in 52 games and helping the club lift the 2023 Super Cup. That form earned him his move to Belgium, where his trajectory only sharpened: he played his part in ending Union Saint-Gilloise’s 90-year wait for a league title in 2024-25, then backed it up with a Belgian Cup triumph last season.

Now comes the Premier League.

"I have followed the Premier League for a long time, it's a new challenge for me," he told the club’s official website, sounding more excited than daunted by the step up. The move is not just about exposure; it’s about expectation. Palace want him to affect games, not just learn from them.

His admiration for his new club has clearly been building from afar. "And Crystal Palace I like, because I have followed them for a long time. They have deserved to win three trophies and I want to do more," he said, leaning straight into the club’s ambition rather than its underdog status.

This is not a scattergun window from the Eagles. It is a calculated rebuild.

Khalaili becomes Palace’s fifth summer arrival, part of a squad reshaping designed to give Sage genuine depth across the pitch. At the back, Oscar Mingueza and Takehiro Tomiyasu have arrived on free transfers, adding experience and flexibility to the defensive unit.

Up front, the picture has shifted again. Dwight McNeil has come in as part of a swap deal that saw Brennan Johnson depart, altering the profile of the wide options. Evann Guessand has also returned on a season-long loan from Aston Villa, reinforcing the attacking rotation.

Layer Khalaili on top of that, and Palace suddenly look less like a team clinging to mid-table safety and more like a club arming themselves for a serious push. The question now is simple: how quickly can this new-look side turn smart recruitment into hard results at Selhurst Park?