Birmingham City & Norwich plotting swoops for ex-Celtic winger | OneFootball

Liel Abada has reportedly become of interest to the Championship rivals

Birmingham City and Norwich City were certainly among the sides expected to challenge for a play-off spot before the Championship season got underway, but both clubs are now preparing for another season in the second tier.

For Blues, it has certainly been an intriguing first season back at Championship level under the management of Chris Davies, having broken the EFL's all-time points record in League One 12 months ago.

Indeed, the West Midlands side recorded their highest points total and league finish in the division for a decade as a result of their final-day 1-1 draw against Portsmouth at Fratton Park, but were still unable to fight for a play-off spot in the season's final weeks as they came four places and nine points behind sixth-placed Hull City.

The Canaries, meanwhile, can certainly split their season into two parts, having followed up Liam Manning's dismal short-term reign at his hometown club between June and November with a remarkable resurgence up the standings since Philippe Clement's arrival at Carrow Road in November.

Norwich, along with Southampton, have shot up the table since the turn of 2026, as they came one place above Birmingham on 65 points, but there is plenty of reason for supporters in this corner of East Anglia to be excited about.

With Clement set to embark on his first pre-season in charge of the club, it will certainly be intriguing to see which transfer moves Norwich will make under the experienced figure who has extensive knowledge of the game right across Europe.

Blues, meanwhile, have seen their investment under the ownership of Knighthead Capital Management become well-documented, and the two divisional rivals are already the subject of a potential battle with the transfer window set to reopen next month.

Birmingham City and Norwich City plot moves to sign Charlotte FC's Liel Abada

That's because, according to Sky Sports' Anthony Joseph - via X - the two Championship sides are plotting respective moves to sign former Celtic winger and Israel international, Liel Abada, from Major League Soccer outfit, Charlotte FC.

The update does also state that other divisional rivals are interested in securing the services of the 24-year-old, albeit they are unnamed at this moment in time, just days after the regular season reached a dramatic conclusion.

Abada is currently managed stateside by former Canaries boss, Dean Smith, who has enjoyed success at the Bank of America Stadium since his appointment in December 2023, just months after he followed up his time at Carrow Road with a spell at Leicester City.

The 18-time international was signed by the MLS side in February 2024 in a reported $8m (£5.6m) deal from Celtic, where he previously scored 29 times and posted 22 assists from July 2021 onwards, in a period which also saw the Scottish Premiership giants win the title on two occasions.

Abada has registered two assists in 10 MLS appearances in 2026 thus far, and his contract is currently set to expire in December, even though there is the option for Charlotte to extend said deal for a further 12 months.

Birmingham City and Norwich City's connections to the SPFL could help in Liel Abada transfer tussle

Both Birmingham and Norwich are likely to target a top-eight finish next season as a result of the extended play-off format, and they will also hope to use their connections to the Scottish game to their advantage in their pursuits of Abada.

The winger will certainly be familiar to the likes of Tomoki Iwata and Kyogo Furuhashi at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, having played with the Japanese duo at Parkhead during a successful period, whilst Clement will be aware of his capabilities despite previously being in charge of Old Firm rivals, Rangers.

However, as has been the case with other signings, Birmingham may hold another key advantage through the notoriety of board members such as Tom Brady, as well as their well-documented future plans that include the 62,000-seater Powerhouse stadium, set to be opened in four years time.