Celtic 'agree £10m sale of Israeli winger Liel Abada to Charlotte FC'

Manager Brendan Rodgers admitted last month that the 22-year-old could soon leave the Hoops as he "does not feel quite right or ready" to play for the club.

Israeli international Abada is currently dealing with challenging off-field issues in relation to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between his home country and Palestine.

Substantial numbers of Celtic supporters have regularly shown their support for Palestine this season by either waving the country's flag or collectively singing songs during matches at Parkhead.

Amid Israel's ongoing military assault in Gaza, Abada has not played for Celtic since the 2-1 win at Hibernian on February 7, subsequently missing each of the club's last five matches in all competitions.

Abada put pen to paper on a new four-year deal at Celtic last summer after attracting interest from a number of clubs following an impressive 2022-23 campaign, scoring 13 goals and registering nine assists in 47 games.

However, off-field issues as well as a serious thigh injury, which forced him to be sidelined for three months, has led to the winger experiencing a limited role in Rodgers's first-team squad this season.

Abada now appears to be on the verge of leaving Celtic, as Sky Sports News reports that Charlotte FC have agreed to sign the Israeli for a club-record £10m.

The report adds that Abada is scheduled to travel to America this week to undergo a medical and finalise his move to the North Carolina-based outfit.

Celtic are expected to make a significant profit on Abada, who they recruited for a reported £3.5m four years ago from Israeli outfit Maccabi Petah Tikva.

Abada is set to work under former Aston Villa, Norwich City and Leicester City manager Dean Smith, who was appointed Charlotte boss during the MLS off-season in mid-December.

Charlotte currently sit seventh in the Eastern Conference standings after collecting four points from their opening two games of the 2024 campaign, with a 1-0 home win over New York City FC followed by a 1-1 draw at Vancouver Whitecaps.