The signing of Liel Abada is a ‘big coup’ for MLS outfit Charlotte FC with Scottish Premiership champions Celtic selling the Israel international for a fee of £10 million.
As Hoops legend Chris Sutton pointed out with no shortage of bemusement ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final clash with Livingston, the squad at Brendan Rodgers’ disposal – right here, right now – certainly looks a lot weaker than it did on January 1st.
The departure of Alexandro Bernabei to Internacional leaves Celtic with just one recognised left-back. David Turnbull’s exit, meanwhile, forced Rodgers to throw 18-year-old Daniel Kelly in at the deep end during last week’s 2-0 defeat at Hearts.
And in Liel Abada, Celtic may have sold a player who established himself as a very regular source of goals and assists from the wing with a player who, according to one pundit, would struggle to even force his way into the Kilmarnock XI.
Celtic sell Liel Abada to Major League Soccer
Abada officially became a Charlotte FC player on Friday, his Celtic career grinding to a very disappointing halt due largely to ‘personal reasons’, per Sky Sports.
And Celtic’s loss, Charlotte boss Dean Smith says, is most definitely his new club’s gain.
“He’s a player that I know well, coming from the UK,” Smith says, via MLS Soccer. “I know he’s been playing in Scotland, but there’s not many English people who don’t know about Celtics and Rangers players because they’re always in the news and they’re on the TV a lot.
“They’re both two big clubs. And to get a player of his calibre and the consistency he’s had in the last couple of seasons with Celtic is a big coup for ourselves, I believe.”
Abada, one of the most inspired signings of the terrific Ange Postecoglou era, mustered a highly-impressive 47 goal contributions during two seasons under the now-Tottenham Hotspur boss.
Postecoglou favourite leaves Parkhead
“He’ll add creativity in the final third. He scores goals and he creates goals,” the former Aston Villa and Brentford coach adds. “If you’re getting a player, a wide player, (with so many) goal involvements a season, then that’s a good player.
“We believe that Liel Abada will be the right player and the right person with the right character. That’s why we’ve taken so long to make sure he’s the right thing for us, and we’ll do the same again with the next one. Recruitment is so important, but it’s also tough as well.”
Celtic, at least, did make a £6.5 million profit on a player who arrived in Glasgow as a relative unknown from Maccabi Petah Tikva back in 2021.
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