Ange Posteocoglou says he won't believe Liel Abada wants to quit Celtic unless he hears it from the player directly.
Avi Luzon, chairman of the winger’s former club Maccabi Petah Tikva, revealed it’s “90 per cent probable” he will move to England. Southampton have been linked with Abada amid speculation he will follow Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis out the exit door.
It is also claimed that there have been problems with a potential enhanced contract at Parkhead and this is one of the reasons that Abada, who is nursing a thigh injury that forced him out of international action and the 2-0 win over Ross County, is exploring other options.
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Postecoglou said: He said: “Liel’s very happy here and there’s nothing that’s shown me he wants to go anywhere. He just wants to be the best he can be.
“He’s working hard to do that and he’s been fantastic since he joined us.
“Sometimes other people like to speak for others, but I prefer to speak to the person themselves and get first-hand information.
“At the moment Liel’s really happy here. Players have their futures in their own hands. It’s about what they want to do.
“Some of them are at different stages of their lives and have different ambitions.
“I’ve got no problem with that, it’s not about being ruthless or harsh with them. It’s about understanding their needs and what they want to do.
“That’s fine, we move on and they move on to better things. That’s how I treat every case.”
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