Yaakov Shahar on the way to a major deal: "High chances"
After a series of high-profile signings in the summer of 2026, reports in Serbia claim that the "Greens" are the leading candidates to acquire the Red Star Belgrade midfielder. What is the price tag, what structure is being considered, and what is the obstacle in the contract? | All the details
Maccabi Haifa continues to expand its squad under coach Barak Bakhar and sporting director Lior Refaelov. After signing Omri Glazer, Bruninho, Andrija Novakovich, Nigel Lonwijk, Wanderson Tsunami, and Yair Mordechai this summer, the club led by Yaakov Shahar may make another significant move.
According to a report on the Serbian website "Sport Klub", Maccabi Haifa is the most serious team regarding the return of Mohammad Abu Fani. The Israeli midfielder arrived at Red Star only this summer from Ferencváros for 1.5 million euros, at the request of coach Dejan Stanković. However, Stanković has already left the position, and Abu Fani's performance in the two matches against Hapoel Be'er Sheva did not impress, which made his status unstable.
Now, the new coach Albert Riera is expected to make a decision regarding him, while Rade Krunić and Timi Elšnik are expected to be prioritized in the midfield, alongside the return of Baio.
However, the deal involves significant financial complexity. Haifa is not interested in paying the transfer fee of 1.5 million euros, so a loan deal is being considered. In addition, Abu Fani is signed in Serbia until 2029 and earns the highest salary of his career, estimated between 650 and 750 thousand euros per season — a figure that may challenge his move back to Israel.
