Attacker responds when asked if he’s joining Crystal Palace in £16m deal

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Celtic winger Liel Abada has played down talk over a summer switch to Premier League outfit Crystal Palace after helping Ange Postecoglou’s side climb back to the top of the tree north of the border, speaking to Ynet. 

Perhaps the scariest thing about Abada is that he is far from the finished article. A first-draft footballer.

During an excellent debut season at Parkhead, the £3 million signing from Maccabi Petah Tikva mustered 15 goals and 11 assists. Imagine the numbers he’ll produce when he matures, improves and develops a real ruthless streak in the final third. 

No wonder Crystal Palace are hoping to move ahead of the curve. 

According to the Scottish Sun, Patrick Vieira’s upwardly-mobile Crystal Palace side have been watching Abada’s exhilarating performances very closely indeed.

But, just one year into the five-season deal he signed 11 months ago, it seems neither Celtic nor Abada have the appetite for an early divorce.

Crystal Palace want Celtic’s Liel Abada

“I’m only dealing with Celtic right now,” the 20-year-old Israel international says when quizzed about Crystal Palace’s interest.

“I’m good here. I love the players, the crowd and the team. I get a sense of home and all my focus is here. In the future? I cannot know what will happen and it’s not right to talk about it.” 

Abada was equally coy when discussing his price-tag, Ynet claiming that his market value has risen from £3 million to around £16 million in the space of one year.

“I do not look at these things. I work hard and modestly, and focus exclusively on the pitch. To do my best on the pitch, for the club and the crowd,” Abada adds.  

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Given Celtic’s buy low, sell high approach to transfers, it feels unlikely that the one-time Olympiacos target will spend the entirety of his career in green-and-white.

But Abada, like fellow recruits Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Josip Juranovic, are just getting started, with Postecoglou building a new dynasty out of the rubble of the old one.