Football Scotland takes McGowan to task over Celtic contract claim

Football Scotland has taken the Daily Mail to task over claims that Liel Abada has turned down the offer of a new contract from Celtic.

The winger was the first major signing of Ange Postecoglou, agreeing to a five year contract when he moved from Maccabi Petah Tikva in July 2021 and scoring the first competitive goal of the Postecoglou era against Midtjylland in a Champions League qualifier.

Abada has scored an impressive 28 goals off the wing in two seasons at Celtic, impressive in any terms but more so since over the last season he only started 13 of 38 SPFL matches.

Since the turn of the year there has been growing speculation that the young winger could be moving on this summer, those claims have taken an unusual turn today with two publishers going down very different routes:

At 19.57 tonight, Mark Hendry of Football Scotland claimed:

Liel Abada has not been offered new terms on his Celtic contract, Football Scotland understands.

The winger, 21, has been linked with a move out of Parkhead this summer with a reported £10million price tag on his head. He remains contracted to the Hoops until 2026 which allows the club to seek a hefty fee for the player amid transfer interest believed to be coming from around Europe and in the Premier League.

But suggestions that the attacker – who managed 12 goals and five assists last season under Ange Postecoglou – has rejected fresh new terms on his deal this week are understood to be wide of the mark.

Sources close to the situation have told Football Scotland that he has not knocked back a deal as one has not been put to him by the club in recent weeks.

We told you how Ajax and Southampton were two clubs reportedly interested in the former Maccabi Petah Tikva attacker but he himself is yet to make any decision on his future.

At 39 minutes past midnight Stephen McGowan of the Daily Mail reported:

Winger Liel Abada is also eyeing an exit after turning down a new contract, and Rodgers plans to discuss the futures of a number of players before flying to Japan and South Korea for games against Yokohama F Marinos, Gamba Osaka and Wolves.

It seems unusual for one title to take another to task over a fairly minor comment, when McGowan reports on Celtic transfer matters most fans take the story seriously.

To openly contradict that claim during the close season is a fresh departure, the main issue for Celtic fans is that Abade is around to build on two impressive seasons with his contract not yet at the halfway stage.