Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports has taken to social media in the past while to give an update on the Luis Palma situation, with interest in the Hoops winger substantial….
On the periphery of this Celtic team
Luis Palma is on the periphery of this Celtic team like many others who have either departed or who are on the lookout for new opportunities to go away and get the valuable minutes they cannot get at Celtic Park.
Stephen Welsh, Alexandro Bernabei and Odin Thiago Holm have already moved or are in the process of moving on from Paradise either on loan or permanent basis and there is also speculation that Maik Nawrocki could be the next one out of the door.
Oxford United target Maik Nawrocki
Oxford United have reportedly got the big Pole on their shopping list this winter and they are said to be mulling over a stunning move for the big centre-back who is surplus to requirements in Glasgow.
Meanwhile, Luis Palma had been thought to be on the move from the Scottish Champions too, with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano supposedly close to securing a loan deal with an option-to-buy included at £2.1 million for the Honduran.
Rodgers reluctant to let Palma leave
However, those reports seem to be wide of the mark, according to Sky Sports man Joseph, who claims that there is no deal in place and that the Bhoys are reluctant to let the left-sided attacker go at this stage of the window.
Of course, Celtic have – according to Joseph himself – got an iron in the fire in the shape of Sarpsborg winger, Sondre Ørjasæter, who it is claimed we have entered negotiations with to bring to Scotland this January transfer window.
The figure mentioned is around the £7 million mark which is not a negligible amount of money, especially for a 21-year-old playing in Norway. So that remains to be seen whether or not the club can strike an agreement with the Scandanavian’s employers for his release.
Whilst that is ongoing, it would appear then that Brendan Rodgers is not so keen to relieve the squad of an international standard player in the form of Palma. The recent injuries to Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kühn, combined with the absence of veteran James Forrest, means that the club will no doubt be looking at protecting themselves before they allow any more departures in an area of the field we clearly need reinforcements.
This one may well rumble on to the very end of the window it would seem…
UPDATE: Rayo Vallecano have withdrawn their approach for Celtic winger Luis Palma after being struck with a FIFA transfer ban.
It’s understood, despite reports in Spain, a deal was not close with Celtic reluctant to let Palma go at this stage of the window. https://t.co/uroZwaCd35
— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) January 14, 2025
Paul Gillespie
Rodgers isn’t currently in a position to let Palma leave just yet.
Only 3 wide options available, and that’s without knowing the extent of Maeda injury at present?
Can’t see Rodgers going into the young boys match, with a lack of wide options available to himself, with having to potentially change shape altogether during that match, if we have a lack of wide options available?
Regardless of how Palma is viewed as a player for ourselves, he still made a valuable contribution during the Dundee united match, when needed.
So would be madness from Rodgers to leave himself without that option available to himself, with some of the games we have coming up also imo?