Southampton nearly bid for Celtic’s Liel Abada in January, they prefer summer move now

Add as preferred source on Google

Southampton nearly made a bid to sign Celtic star Liel Abada in January, and may make a move in the summer.

That’s according to The Athletic who believe the Israeli international is attracting interest from south of the border.

Liel Abada has been Ange Postecoglou’s go-to man off the bench for much of the season to change games.

He’s appeared as a sub as much as he has started matches so far, but already has 10 goals and five assists in all competitions.

Abada’s reputation across Europe is only increasing, after being named on a list of UEFA’s breakout stars of 2023.

It was only a month ago that Abada was reportedly entering contract talks with the club.

The 21-year-old is one of Celtic’s best young prospects, and has a huge future ahead of him.

It’s no wonder Southampton want Abada, and he could end up making Celtic a huge profit if he leaves in the summer.

Southampton considered bid for Celtic’s Abada in January

The report from The Athletic states that, ‘Celtic’s Liel Abada was another discussed, but the sticking point was always the preference to wait until the summer.

‘Like [Antoine] Semenyo, [Joe] Shields had wanted to sign Abada, with Southampton’s scouts in Scotland tracking both him and his team-mate Josip Juranovic.’

Abada is one of the most exciting young players in the Scottish Premiership right now.

Jota and Daizen Maeda have both been used on the right wing ahead of Abada, but that competition is only going to help him improve.

Unlike Jota and Maeda, who can play on both wings, Abada is very much a one-sided player.

Although that lack of versatility may work against him at times, he’s certainly perfecting his craft on the right.

Celtic will know keeping hold of the likes of Abada is vital to make more of an impact in Europe in the future.

However, the money being thrown around in the Premier League inevitably means bids must be considered.

If Southampton stay in the Premier League next season, Abada may well come into their thinking again.

The club are always looking for the next gem to unearth from another obscure corner of world football.

Celtic’s scouting network has worked wonders in recent years.

No doubt work is already being done to protect against any potential summer exits, as we witnessed with Josip Juranovic’s departure and the swift arrival of Alistair Johnston.