The next Liel Abada: Celtic plotting exciting move for £3m star

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead for a second spell at the club in the summer of 2023, after Ange Postecoglou left to join Tottenham Hotspur.

The Northern Irish head coach was met with immediate problems to deal with as Carl Starfelt and Jota were both sold in his first summer transfer window.

As you can see in the graphic above, the Portuguese forward had been brilliant for Postecoglou in the previous two Scottish Premiership seasons, but Rodgers was unable to enjoy his talents in his first season in charge as the winger joined Al Ittihad for £25m.

Thankfully, Celtic re-signed Jota from Rennes for £8m, six months after he had left Al Ittihad to join Rennes, and the Hoops boss has been able to call upon the exciting attacker in recent weeks.

The ex-Benfica starlet has scored four goals, created three ‘big chances’, and provided two assists in six Premiership starts since his winter return to Parkhead.

Jota is not the only talented Celtic winger who Rodgers was unable to see the best of upon his return to the club, though, as Liel Abada also falls into that category.

Why Liel Abada left Celtic

Whilst no exact reason was given for his departure from the Scottish giants, there are plenty of clues as to why the decision was made by all parties.

After playing nine times for Rodgers in the league during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, Abada was left out of the squad and the manager explained that he was not ready to play due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Around that time, the BBC wrote that ‘Abada faced pressure from compatriots to leave Celtic following some fans’ show of support for Palestinian people and has sat out the Scottish champions’ latest five games’, which provided further context around his departure.