Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Peter Davidson

Liel Abada in no Celtic 'rush' to leave as star addresses rumour and James McCarthy faces end game – transfer round–up

Liel Abada insists he is in "no rush" to leave Celtic this summer after being linked with a move away from Parkhead.

The Israeli striker, who is contracted to 2026, is believed to be wanted by clubs in Europe including by Dutch giants Ajax. Abada said he is "really happy" in the east end of Glasgow and is going to fight for his position in the starting line-up. The 21-year-old has failed to pin down a regular starting berth under this season under Ange Postecoglou due to the form of Jota, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi. Abada has netted 12 goals for Celtic this season and has also suffered injuries.

Abada, who has been nominated for the PFA Scotland young player of the year award for the second successive season, said: "I am focused on getting the three trophies and this is the most important thing now. I am really happy at Celtic. Everyone looks after me and tries to help me get better. My relationships with the players and staff are very good. So I am really happy here. There is no rush.

“I have time. Right now we just focus on finishing the season strong and this is the most important thing. When you play at a club like Celtic, there are a lot of great players, you have a lot of competition. But I am still young and I want to work hard every training session, every game, and help the team get our targets.

"It is the coach’s decision and, when the gaffer tells me I need to play, I will do the best for the team and try to get our target and this is the most important thing."

Meanwhile, Celtic look set to offload James McCarty this summer. The 32-year-old signed a four-year deal back in 2021 and currently has two more season left on his contract. He has failed to pin down a regular starting berth at Celtic since joining and Postecoglou looks set to let him leave.

Football Scotland report Celtic are open to offers for the Republic of Ireland international this summer after failing to secure a loan exit for him in the January window.

READ NEXT

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.