​Anan Khalaili’s father has revealed that Cristian Chivu personally took the initiative to secure a transfer to Inter, following a lengthy pursuit that saw Ipswich Town putting forward an offer of €30 million, while Napoli lagged behind in satisfying Union Saint-Gilloise’s demands. The Israel international now appears ready to assume the right-side role in Inter’s midfield, replacing Denzel Dumfries, who is bound for Real Madrid, after a series of intensive negotiations. Multiple sources this afternoon confirmed that a deal has been struck for €25 million plus add-ons to reach the €30 million asking price, including a 15 percent share of the sell-on fee paid to Khalaili’s first club, Maccabi Haifa.
Madji Khalaili, Anan’s father and a former professional footballer, spoke to 103FM about the entire saga. He recalled that he had previously said he wouldn’t speak until everything was finalized, and he now confirmed that Anan would sign and then fly from Brussels to Milan on a private plane provided by Inter, the day after the agreement is completed. “If you could have seen what we’ve gone through over the last two or three weeks, you’d think it was surreal,” the father said. “Yet I’ve never seen him so calm. I called him after negotiations were finalized and he was asleep. I told him it was all done, and he simply replied: ‘Really? Wow.’ That’s my son.”
The negotiations had a strong sense of flux, with initial reports surfacing weeks earlier that Napoli had agreed personal terms, though those talks did not connect with Union Saint-Gilloise. The father confirmed that a number of other clubs were involved in the process, including Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, and also Cagliari, Atalanta, and Napoli. He clarified that while Napoli’s first formal bid existed, it failed to satisfy the Belgian club’s requirements, a gap that ultimately propelled Inter to the forefront.
Khalaili’s decision to join Inter was cemented after he spoke directly with Cristian Chivu, the Inter coach, who had personally stepped in to push the deal forward. The father described a difficult period marked by near-collapses in the negotiation process and a week that proved extremely challenging for Anan, who nearly missed several training sessions as the talks teetered on the brink. It was Chivu’s proactive involvement—calling personally and taking the initiative to drive the transfer—that proved pivotal in clinching the move to Inter.
With the deal set to bring Khalaili to Milan, Inter fans can expect the young midfielder to slot into the right-hand flank of the midfield, stepping into a role that will be crucial for the squad’s planned tactical setup. The transfer also includes a financial arrangement to compensate Maccabi Haifa with a 15 percent cut of the sell-on fee, aligning with Khalaili’s career progression and the pathway through which he emerged onto the European stage. The expectation now is that Anan will complete the formalities and relocate to Milan in the near future, signaling the beginning of a new chapter in his career under Chivu’s guidance.