- July 20, 2026
- 6:47 pm
- Israel
Ukrainian goalkeeper Georgiy Ermakov is close to leaving Haifa’s Maccabi and returning to the Ukrainian championship. The Israeli club could earn about 3–3.2 million euros from his sale, and the position in goal is already being prepared for Israeli national team goalkeeper Omri Glazer.
Haifa’s Maccabi is on the verge of two major transfers that are directly related to each other.
The 24-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper Georgiy Ermakov may soon transfer to a Kharkiv club, which various sources refer to as ‘Metalist 1925’, ‘Kharkiv’, or ‘Metalist Kharkiv’. Simultaneously, Maccabi has officially agreed on the return of Omri Glazer, who played for Belgrade’s ‘Crvena Zvezda’.
Israeli media estimate Ermakov’s transfer at approximately 3 million euros. Channel Sport5 previously reported a sum of 3.2 million euros, which became a compromise between the demands of the Haifa club and the offer from the Ukrainian side.
How Maccabi will earn millions on the Ukrainian goalkeeper
The story of Georgiy Ermakov in Israel could become one of the most successful transfer operations in the history of the Haifa club.
In the summer of 2024, Maccabi acquired the rights to the young Ukrainian goalkeeper for approximately 100 thousand euros. In Haifa, it was then decided that the financial risk was practically absent: Ermakov was considered a promising goalkeeper of the Ukrainian youth team and had an Israeli passport, so he did not take up a foreign player spot.
Maccabi President Yaakov Shahar, according to ‘Israel Hayom’, told club leaders that they ‘had nothing to lose’ since it was about a young player with great potential.
After signing the contract, Ermakov stayed for another season in ‘Alexandria’, where he gained regular playing practice. In the Ukrainian championship, he played 30 matches, and the team finished the 2024/25 season in second place.
In the summer of 2025, the goalkeeper joined Maccabi and took a place in the main squad. During the season, he played 37 matches for the Haifa club and became one of the most notable players on the team.
Now Maccabi can sell the player, acquired for 100 thousand euros, for more than 30 times that amount.
Even considering the expenses for acquiring Omri Glazer, the profit of the Haifa club from the two related deals, according to Israeli media estimates, will exceed 10 million shekels. For Israeli football, this is an example of an almost ideal transfer model: find a young player, give him the opportunity to develop, and sell him after one full season for several million euros.
The Kharkiv club has been pursuing Ermakov for several months
Interest in the Ukrainian goalkeeper arose not in the summer, but much earlier.
As early as January 2026, Maccabi’s management understood that several Ukrainian clubs were interested in Ermakov. The Kharkiv project, associated with businessman Vladimir Nosov, was particularly persistent.
In Haifa, it was assumed that it would be difficult to retain the goalkeeper even after a significant salary increase. Maccabi considered offering Ermakov about 400 thousand dollars per season, but the Ukrainian side was ready to pay significantly more.
According to ‘Israel Hayom’, Vladimir Nosov offered the goalkeeper approximately 600 thousand dollars net per season — roughly three times his salary in Israel.
Initially, representatives of the Ukrainian club hoped to complete the deal for about 2 million euros. Maccabi did not agree and demanded more significant compensation.
Later it was reported that the Haifa club wanted to receive 5 million euros, while the Ukrainian side was ready to pay about 3 million. After prolonged negotiations, the parties, according to Sport5, settled on a sum of 3.2 million euros.
At the time of the article’s publication, there was no official announcement of Ermakov’s signing by the Kharkiv club. Therefore, the transfer should be considered close to completion but not yet finalized.
Returning to Ukraine could bring Ermakov closer to the national team
Georgiy Ermakov was born on March 28, 2002, in Kyiv.
He began his football journey in the system of Donetsk’s ‘Shakhtar’, after which he played for ‘Alexandria’. The goalkeeper’s height is 191 centimeters.
Ermakov defended the goal of the Ukrainian youth team and participated in the 2024 Olympic Games. In May 2026, he received his first call-up to the Ukrainian national team.
The Ukrainian Football Association announced the goalkeeper’s call-up on May 26, 2026. At that time, Ermakov was included in the national team for friendly matches against Poland and Denmark.
A move to the Ukrainian championship will allow him to constantly be in the field of view of the national team’s coaching staff. Moreover, in the Kharkiv club, Ermakov is expected to gain the status of one of the key players of the team and a significantly more lucrative contract.
For NANews — News of Israel, this story is important not only as a major sports transfer. It shows how closely the football markets of Israel and Ukraine are connected today.
Maccabi received a goalkeeper who grew up in Ukrainian football, helped him reach a new level, and now can return him to Ukraine already as a national team player and one of the most expensive Ukrainian goalkeepers of his generation.
Why Barak Bachar is not worried about the sale
Despite Ermakov’s importance to the team, Maccabi’s head coach Barak Bachar does not consider his possible departure a catastrophe.
The reason is that the club’s management has prepared a replacement in advance.
Several months ago, Bachar informed sports director Lior Rafaelov that in the event of the Ukrainian’s sale, he wanted to bring Omri Glazer back to Haifa. According to the coaching staff, the experienced Israeli goalkeeper is not inferior to Ermakov in level and can immediately take a place in the main squad.
On July 20, 2026, Maccabi officially announced that it had agreed with Belgrade’s ‘Crvena Zvezda’ on Glazer’s transfer.
The 30-year-old Israeli national team goalkeeper agreed to a contract for three seasons. The deal is expected to take effect after passing a medical examination, after which the player will immediately join the team.
For Glazer, this will be his second period at Maccabi. Previously, he played 58 matches for the Haifa club, after which he played for ‘Hapoel’ Be’er Sheva and ‘Crvena Zvezda’. In Serbia, he was also invited by Barak Bachar at one time, so the coach is well acquainted with the goalkeeper’s capabilities.
Glazer’s return was delayed due to ‘Crvena Zvezda’s decision to activate the option to extend his contract. Thanks to this, the Serbian club retained the right to demand compensation for the player, who otherwise could have become a free agent.
Israeli sports media estimated the cost of the transfer at approximately 300 thousand euros.
Thus, Maccabi can sell Ermakov for 3–3.2 million euros, acquire his replacement for about a tenth of that amount, and at the same time get an experienced Israeli goalkeeper well acquainted with the club, the championship, and Barak Bachar’s requirements.
Two deals that satisfy everyone
For Georgiy Ermakov, the possible transfer means a return to Ukraine, a multiple increase in salary, and a new step in the fight for a place in the national team.
For the Kharkiv club — the acquisition of a young goalkeeper with experience in Ukraine, Israel, youth, and national teams.
For Omri Glazer — a return to a familiar team after the European stage of his career.
The main financial winner of the deal is Haifa’s Maccabi. The club invested about 100 thousand euros in Ermakov, got a full season from him in the main squad, and is now ready to earn more than 3 million.
NANews — News of Israel will continue to monitor the completion of negotiations. The final transfer amount for Ermakov and the terms of his contract will become known after official announcements from the clubs, but the sports restructuring in Maccabi’s goal is already practically underway.