Reports from Israel suggest that Palace are close to signing Union Saint-Gilloise wing-back Anan Khalaili, who has been heavily linked with a number of European clubs. 

Khalaili looked set to sign for Inter Milan but failed his medical tests due to cardiopulmonary irregularities, essentially an irregularity with how his heart/lungs function. 

This morning, reports from ONE suggest that after a busy summer of developments, the failed medical at Inter Milan opened the door to other sides, with interest from the likes of Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Newcastle. 

But, the report suggests it’s Palace that will be his next destination, for a fee in the region of £24 million. 

Santi Aouna then reported this morning that the deal is complete and all that is left to take place is a medical. 

Khalaili is an Israeli international who plays as a right sided wing-back for Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise. He scored six goals and registered six assists in 49 appearances last season, attracting large amounts of interest from across the continent. 

The 21-year-old usually operates as a wing-back, and his signing could open the door for Daniel Muñoz to leave the club, with rumours suggesting he could be on his way out. 

Khalaili reacted to failing his medical, claiming that he “feels top, I’ve played 90 games in the last two years and played almost 90 minutes in all of them”. 

Italy’s rules surrounding medicals, especially when it comes to cardio/respiratory issues, are extremely strict. There’s a clear rule against any players with heart issues, which the Premier League are less strict with. 

Khalaili has also been operating in a similar system to Pierre Sage’s, and his high-pressing and positioning within that system would make him an excellent long-term Muñoz replacement. 

In fact, he’s possibly the best suited replacement for the Colombian that Palace could sign. 

Khalaili is a six foot tall right sided wingback. He compares statistically to Muñoz well, but is slightly less polished which makes sense considering his age. 

We’ll start with his attacking play, and Khalaili is an extremely direct player. One element of his forward play which stood out was his ability to shoot from range on both feet, but especially cutting across the field onto his left foot. 

He shoots with power, similarly to Muñoz, and Khalaili ranks exceptionally compared to other full backs in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals. 

Where Khalaili exceeds Muñoz is with the ball at his feet. Technically he is very strong, with excellent one on one ability and footwork, with the agility to match and allow him to beat his man consistently. 

His athleticism matches that of Muñoz, and he possesses a strong recovery pace which allows him to get forward consistently. 

This pace also sees him excel in wide one on ones. A move Khalaili favours is to stand the opponent up, drop the shoulder and burst beyond them towards the goalline before drilling a low cross back into the box. This would work excellently under Pierre Sage at Palace. 

Generally, when Khalaili is on the ball his movements end in progression and significant carry distance, as shown below. 

He’s also strong defensively, especially in the recoveries. He sticks to his position and defends his channel well, consistently winning duels and making recoveries. 

Khalaili would be an excellent acquisition for Palace, and it sounds like the rumours have legs. 

Whilst the Colombian has not directly been linked with a move away this Summer, there are murmurings of interest from Inter Milan, who of course opted against signing Khalaili, and also Saudi Arabia. 

Palace are in need of cash, and if an offer of £35 million or higher came in for Muñoz, Palace would have to seriously consider it. Signed for just shy of £7 million in January 2024, selling for at least five times profit would be fantastic business, especially considering Muñoz’s age. 

The signing of Óscar Mingueza was not only an astute one on a free transfer, but also provided another direct support, or potential replacement for Muñoz. Signing Khalaili and having the Israeli and Mingueza as the two options on the right hand side of defence would be more than adequate, and selling Muñoz would allow Palace to pursue further targets. 

Whilst there haven’t been direct links, there is an understanding that Palace are preparing for life without Muñoz this summer, and Anan Khalaili’s signing indicates that.