Summary: Maccabi Haifa - Hapoel Tel Aviv 0:0/Sport1
Everything is ready for the announcement of Union Saint Gilois on the addition of Anan Halaili.
The winger underwent medical tests in preparation for the transfer in the summer and since then had time to return to Israel to prepare for the start of the top playoffs with Maccabi Haifa, but in Belgium they are already wondering how he will fit into the team, and especially in what position.
The position of right winger, which Halaili fills with great success in Maccabi Haifa and recently also in the Israeli national team, is filled by another young man, the Finnish Kasper Treho, who is considered a great talent and destined to break through next season.
If so, where will Halaili play?
In Belgium, they are raising the possibility that Saint-Gilloise's plan is to make a gradual conversion for Halaili from a winger to an attacking right-back of the "new" model, a sort of playmaker who joins the attacks and helps build them from the center of the pitch as well - as they have done many times in the past.
The role was actually "reinvented" by Pep Guardiola who made Joao Cancelo one at Manchester City, after which it became a trend.
A Belgian scout noted last night that "Union has turned three wing players into defenders in recent years, and this may also be the plan with Halaili."
Will they reinvent it?
Halaili/Danny Maron
Another possibility is that the group assigns him the central striker position.
Victor Boniface filled the position in the past and was sold to Bayer Leverkusen for 20 million euros, and the next in line may be the Algerian Lieu Mohamed Amoura, who scored 17 goals this season and is expected to be sold in the summer for a similar amount.
Teams such as Milan and Juventus have recently been mentioned as candidates to purchase Amora, and according to the latest reports, four Premier League teams are also showing interest.
One way or another, Union is building on big and solid foundations as illustrated by its price tag - about 7.5 million euros, according to estimates - a record amount paid by the club for a player.
More on the same topic:
Anan Halaili
Maccabi Haifa
Union Saint Gilois