Seeking reinforcement: Hapoel Petah Tikva works to sign a foreign defender
Omer Peretz's team continues to look for reinforcements for the center of the defense after the Diego Arroyo deal stalled due to Shakhtar Donetsk's refusal to release him. At the same time, the club is waiting for loan players from top clubs and is following developments surrounding Chipungu Songa.
Hapoel Petah Tikva will be hosted tomorrow, Sunday, at 20:00 by Hapoel Jerusalem in a match held at the stadium in Rehovot as part of the final round of the Toto Cup group stage. The match will be for protocol only, as both teams have lost the chance to qualify for the tournament's semi-finals.
Despite adding several players during the summer, the club feels that the squad is still not complete. The search for a foreign defender continues after the Bolivian defender Diego Arroyo, who was expected to arrive from Shakhtar Donetsk, has not yet been released by the Ukrainian team, and the club is already examining alternatives.
Shakhtar was supposed to sign a foreign defender a few days ago, which would have allowed Arroyo's release to Israel, but the deal did not go through and the defender remained with his team.
At the same time, the club is waiting for releases from top clubs with the goal of adding Israeli players on loan, while the names of Itay Ehud and Iyad Khalaili are still on the agenda.
The Hapoel Petah Tikva squad currently includes six foreigners: Alex Musonda, Boni Amian, Kala, Chipungu Songa, Franck Riboulier, and Karim Kimbidi. The additional spot is reserved for a foreign defender who is expected to join.
The club is taking into account that Chipungu Songa may also be sold during the transfer window, and in such a case, they will try to add a foreign winger in his place.
Contacts between Hapoel Petah Tikva and the Portuguese club Moreirense regarding the sale of Songa did not bear fruit, as the Portuguese offered about 700,000 euros for the Zambian winger—an amount that did not satisfy the club's management.
However, Songa continues to arouse interest from several other teams, and in Petah Tikva, they estimate that there may still be developments regarding him before the window closes.
