Former Celtic winger Liel Abada is attracting interest over a potential move back to British football, with clubs in England monitoring his situation ahead of the summer window…
The 24-year-old – currently playing for Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer – has emerged as a target for Championship outfits Norwich City and Birmingham City. Both sides are believed to be weighing up approaches as they look to strengthen their attacking options.
According to Sky Sports, Liel Abada is firmly on the radar of the English Championship sides, with his availability being explored despite his existing contract in the United States.
Birmingham City & Norwich City eye former Celtic star
Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph posted on X: “Birmingham City & Norwich City are among a number of Championship clubs keen on Charlotte FC winger Liel Abada this summer. The ex-Celtic player’s current deal expires at the end of 2026, although there’s an option to extend it to December 2027.”
Abada remains tied to Charlotte until 2026, though the MLS side retain the right to prolong his stay by a further year, potentially complicating any negotiations.
Chris Davies will be well aware of Abada’s attributes
An added subplot to the transfer interest is the managerial connections at both clubs. A move to Norwich would see Abada work under Philippe Clement, while a switch to Birmingham City would see him play under former Celtic coach Chris Davies.
Since his reported £8 million switch to the MLS, the Israeli international has found the net 13 times in 76 appearances. During his time at Celtic, he recorded 29 goals and 22 assists across 100 games.
Birmingham City & Norwich City are among a number of Championship clubs keen on Charlotte FC winger Liel Abada this summer.
The ex-Celtic player’s current deal expires at the end of 2026, although there’s an option to extend it to December 2027.
(w/@SkySportsLyall)#BCFC #NCFC pic.twitter.com/nRR7ZH0vx1
— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) May 4, 2026
Celtic Manager praises ‘proper athlete’ Alistair Johnston
In other news, Martin O’Neill has lavished praise on Alistair Johnston following his first start since October on Sunday at Easter Road.
Martin O’Neill said: “I thought he did really well. He’s a proper athlete, from the start. He played about 20 minutes last week, he started the game here, always felt he was only going to get about 60-65 minutes anyway, and that’s a problem because we’ve got a number of players that you’re starting to think what you don’t want is a plethora of players coming off after 65 minutes, but it’s the nature, it’s what has happened to us.”
“But his overall performance I thought was really good, really, really good. A good player, and I think he has been missed, obviously, during the course of the season.”
“We have had to get Julian Araujo in from Bournemouth, who I thought did very, very well for us, but they tell me that Alistair’s a real, real proper player, and from the bits that I’ve seen in the training that we’ve done, and in these games, you can see that he’s been a major player for the club.”
Conor Spence
Post your own thoughts in the comments section below…
Quick Tip – Add Celticshorts.com as your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and you’ll notice the difference straight away! – Click HERE….Hail Hail!
