Celtic and Charlotte FC set to announce player’s transfer deal worth £8 million

Celtic and Charlotte FC set to announce player’s transfer deal

Celtic winger Liel Abada is on the verge of leaving Parkhead for Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC, according to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.

The Hoops player has battled to break into Brendan Rodgers’ side throughout the 2023/24 season,

and he is now on the verge of moving to the United States after falling out of favor at Celtic Park.

Celtic are aiming for a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title this season, but have struggled to produce consistent results since the turn of the year.

Meanwhile, Abada has scarcely contributed to the team’s performance and will be hoping for greater opportunities in Charlotte.

Abada prepares for MLS move

A agreement between Celtic and Charlotte is being concluded.

According to various sources, Abada is expected to leave Celtic and join Charlotte FC for £8 million.

The 22-year-old’s exit may surprise some, given that he only signed an extension to his current contract at Parkhead in September 2023.

A new agreement was intended to keep Abada in Glasgow until the summer of 2027.

Abada has not played for Celtic since the club’s 2-1 victory over Hibernian on February 24th, with Rodgers sympathizing with the Israel international,

who is dealing with personal concerns as a result of the war between his home country and Palestine (via The Scottish Sun):

“I empathize with his situation. It’s more than just sport; it’s about people, and we must respect that.

He’s training and working, but as I previously stated, it’s all about the mentality, and if you’re not quite right or ready, I can’t put him at risk while also protecting the squad.

“People can talk about what’s going on there and then forget about it, but that’s his reality; it’s his existence. Every day and night, families are at battle.

So it’s a difficult circumstance for him, and on a human level, I empathize with him. It’s my duty,

and we’ll do it like I’ve done with a number of players before: take the  human aspect, and look after him.”

Bogert told The Athletic that Charlotte is finalizing a contract to bring Abada to the MLS.

The 22-year-old will join the club’s young designated player roster. The wideman will join former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith,

who has been in charge of the MLS club since December 2023.

Liel Abada – stats vs 2023/24 Celtic current Scottish Premiership squad
	Output	Squad rank
Overall rating	6.50	24th
Goals	1	=13th
Assists	1	=12th
Dribbles per game	0.4	=15th
Crosses per game	0.2	=10th

Abada’s time with Celtic

Abada joined Celtic from Israeli club Maccabi Petah Tikva in July 2021 for an undisclosed fee. He was a crucial player at Parkhead prior to this season.

In 112 appearances for the Hoops over the next two-and-a-half seasons, the ten-cap Israel star has scored 29 goals and assisted 22 times.

However, the winger has only scored three goals in 11 games this season, with his play naturally waning in the aftermath of more significant personal issues.

Abada hopes to settle in Charlotte and get his career back on track.

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