MLS clubs eye Liel Abada but Celtic only interested in permanent deal

Liel Abada’s agent is set to arrive in Glasgow ahead of talks with the club over his future. Brendan Rodgers revealed that the player had not been involved with the first team for the win against St Mirren in the Cup as he was struggling with the situation at Celtic.

A report from Israeli outlet Sport 5 confirmed that the player’s future in Glasgow was in doubt. It comes after he was absent again in the draw against Kilmarnock.

MLS clubs are interested in signing Abada as he looks to leave the club due to the situation. The abuse that the player appears to have been getting on social media from accounts from his homeland for playing for Celtic will likely have been an enormous source of anxiety for the young man. The issue with a sale is that the player signed a long-term contract last summer and the club will likely demand £10m+ for the winger.

There appeared to be rhetoric in the media that Abada was finding it difficult and that clubs were considering a loan. In retrospect, it was probably an accurate reflection of the turmoil that the player finds himself in.

In 112 appearances, Abada has 29 goals and 22 assists. The right winger was a huge part of the Ange Postecoglou era at the club and looked set to kick on under Rodgers but an injury then Israel’s invasion of Gaza increased the noise around the player.

Despite being welcomed back onto the field against Rangers, Abada has not celebrated with the fans at full-time in any games, which suggests that he is struggling to deal with the fanbase showing their support for Palestine.