Dramatic report: Mohammad Abu Fani may return to Israel
Serbian media claim that the arrival of new coach Albert Riera could signal the exit of the Israeli national team midfielder from Red Star Belgrade, and that Israeli clubs have already expressed interest in the former Maccabi Haifa player.
Mohammad Abu Fani may find himself out of Red Star Belgrade as early as the current transfer window, despite joining the club only this summer. This is reported by the Serbian sports site HotSport, which notes that Israeli clubs are monitoring developments surrounding the midfielder.
According to the report, at this stage, there is no official offer or negotiations with a specific team in Israel, but rather interest from clubs waiting to see if Red Star will indeed decide to place Abu Fani on the transfer list.
The 28-year-old midfielder arrived in Serbia from Ferencváros for about 1.5 million euros, with former coach Dejan Stanković being the central figure behind his signing. However, Stanković has already left, and new coach Albert Riera is still evaluating the squad and will have to decide if Abu Fani fits his plans.
The Israeli's start in Belgrade was far from expectations. Against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Champions League qualifiers, he was substituted at halftime in the first leg, and in the return leg at the Marakana, he was sent off after coming on as a substitute. Red Star was eventually eliminated by the Israeli champion.
For Abu Fani, a return to Israel could be a return to a league where he had already established himself as a significant player. The midfielder grew up in the Maccabi Haifa youth department, made his senior debut with them, and later went on loan to Hapoel Ramat Gan and Hapoel Hadera. After returning to Haifa, he became a central part of the team and won three consecutive championships with them before moving to Ferencváros in the summer of 2023.
At Ferencváros, Abu Fani continued to develop and gained significant experience in European football, and now he may find himself at the center of the Israeli transfer market again. If Riera decides to let him go, the possibility of a return to Israel could turn from a theoretical scenario into a real move.
At this stage, there is no indication that Maccabi Haifa or any other Israeli club has submitted an official offer, and the Serbian report speaks only of interest and monitoring. However, given Abu Fani's background and the experience he gained in Europe, he could become a very intriguing name for top Israeli teams if Red Star decides to part ways with him.
