Southampton and West Brom's chances of signing Celtic star become clear, £10m deal agreed | OneFootball

Celtic’s Liel Abada is poised to join MLS side Charlotte FC in a deal worth around £10m, ending any chance West Brom or Southampton had of signing the winger in the summer.

Liel Abada transfer latest

The Israeli international joined the Glasgow giants in the summer of 2021, and he enjoyed a fantastic first two years at Parkhead.

During his first campaign, Celtic won the title and the League Cup, whilst he was named as the Young Player of the Year in Scotland. They would then win the treble in his second season, with Abada continuing to play an important role under Ange Postecoglou.

However, this season has been more complicated for the player, as injuries disrupted his impact on the pitch, and his relationship with some supporters has been impacted following the Israel-Palestine war.

Therefore, it was suggested in January that Abada could move on, with West Brom and Southampton thought to be keen on bringing the forward to the Championship.

Liel Abada to join Charlotte FC in £10m deal

That didn’t happen though, and with the window shut, both clubs would have to wait until the summer before they could make another move for Abada.

Yet, it seems he has decided on his next move, as Sky Sports News has revealed that Abada has passed a medical with Charlotte FC, and it’s expected to be finalised by the end of the week.

“Liel Abada is set to complete his move from Celtic to MLS side Charlotte FC within 48 hours after completing his medical.

“A fee of £10m was agreed for the Israel international to head to America - with the winger set to work under former Aston Villa and Leicester boss Dean Smith, who is head coach at Charlotte FC.”

Liel Abada’s long-term future

As a designated player, Abada is a big signing for Charlotte FC, and the fact they’ve committed around £10m for him shows he is a serious investment for the club, so they will expect big things from him in the years to come.

Of course, he is only 22, so there’s still a chance that he could return to Europe in the future, and it may be an aim for the player at some point in the future.

But, it seems pretty clear that the ship has sailed for both Albion and Saints in terms of signing Abada in the short-term, even if they did win promotion to the Premier League, which is the aim for both this season.

West Brom and Southampton’s summer plans

Following on from that, the recruitment teams at both respective clubs are sure to be drawing up two lists of potential new signings ahead of the window.

Either way, it’s going to be a pivotal summer for Saints, who will need reinforcements if they go up, or they will be balancing the squad if they remain in the second tier.

Meanwhile, Albion are preparing for the first transfer window under new owner Shilen Patel, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.