Speculative report links Ajax with Celtic winger

Sky Sports are reporting interest from Ajax in Liel Abada in the vaguest of terms.

The Dutch side are said to have watched the Celtic winger and are monitoring his situation.

Having spent £20m on Calvin Bassey last summer Ajax are likely to be reluctant to return to the SPFL but with a solid international pedigree Abada is much more of a known quantity after two seasons at Celtic.

At 16.35 this afternoon Sky Sports Transfer Centre reported:

Ajax are positioning themselves to be in the hunt for Celtic’s Liel Abada this summer. 

The Dutch club have been watching him this season and are monitoring his situation at the club.

Abada has scored 12 goals and setup seven more but many of his 41 appearances in all competitions have come from the bench.

Clubs from England and Portugal are therefore also looking at whether Abada will be on the market this summer, due to the fact he has not been a regular starter under Ange Postecoglou. 

Postecoglou himself is also being looked at seriously by Premier League clubs, several of whom are assessing who their next permanent boss will be at the end of the season.

Israel winger Abada is still just 21 but has Champions League experience under his belt now, and he has impressed since joining from Maccabi Petah Tivka in 2021. 

In total he has 27 goals and 18 assists in 95 Celtic appearances and is popular among the club’s supporters. He is contracted at Parkhead until 2026.

This season Abada has mainly been used off the bench by Postecoglou who tends to play four wingers when available.

The 21-year-old is currently injured but that won’t diminish interest in him with goal-scoring wingers always catching the eye.

Although he is under contract until May 2026 there does seem to be growing speculation that he could be on the move in the summer.

Rocco Vata, Sead Haksabanovic and Mikey Johnston are other options available to Ange Postecoglou but another move into the transfer market is likely with the Celtic boss establishing a reputation for forward planning.

NOTE: The original article twice mentioned Postecoglu rather than Postecoglou.

? Ajax are positioning themselves to be in the hunt for Celtic’s Liel Abada this summer.

All the details here ?

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 17, 2023