Celtic are reported to be about to get Liel Abada signed up on a new contract.
The winger was the first major signing under Ange Postecoglou in July 2021 as a teenager, going on to have a major impact in terms of goals and assists over the following two seasons.
Since the turn of the year there has been speculation that Abada could be moving elsewhere but the transfer of Jota to Al Ittihad has already robbed Brendan Rodgers of one key winger.
Late on Wednesday afternoon Scott Burns of the Daily Record reported:
Celtic are set to seal a new long-term deal for Liel Abada. The Israeli international currently has a contract until 2026 but that is set to be improved and extended before the end of the week. Record Sport broke the story earlier this month that the Scottish champions were set to open talks with Abada and Reo Hatate. Abada will be the first deal over the line.
The Celtic hierarchy have been in discussions over the last week and are close to sealing a new deal with the winger. The 21-year-old has been a revelation since Celtic signed him from Maccabi Petah Tikva in 2019, with his goals and assists. It is a major boost for Brendan Rodgers to get another one of the club’s major assets to commit to the club. Rodgers is set to make Abada a more central figure as he wasn’t given the same assurances under Ange Postecoglou.
NOTE: Abada was signed in July 2021 but Burns is a contract and transfer specialist
With three years to run on his current deal there is no pressing need to get Abada onto a new deal but the contract extensions of Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi will have created quite a spread of wages among key first team players.
It could be that Abada has expended his contract in return for a pay rise and possibly a get-out clause which would suit all parties with an incentive for the player to produce and a guaranteed profit for the club.