'A quality player' - Celtic ace could lead summer exodus as Euro club urged to shatter record transfer fee on attacker
Celtic are facing a major rebuild in the summer with plenty of movement expected in both directions
Celtic are bracing for a major transfer rebuild when the summer window opens, and one player who could become the first permanent exit is Luis Palma - with his loan club told they can make a profit on the winger.
The Honduran international is currently on a season-long loan spell at the Polish giants and they retain a clause in the agreement with the Scottish champions that would allow them to buy him the 26-year-old permanently for £4 million in the summer.
However, that hefty fee would almost DOUBLE Lech Poznan’s record transfer spend and they have repeatedly indicated they would need the Hoops to lower their demands in order to allow them to snap up Palma on a longer-term deal.
Palma - who still has two-and-a-half years left on his deal at Parkhead - has impressed this season, bagging nine goals and nine assists. He has already indicated a willingness to extend stay in Poland, with the club on the brink of title glory.
And Poznan legend Piotr Reiss acknowledges that while Palma has his flaws and can often frustrate at times on the pitch, he believes the investment would be worthwhile in the long run by suggesting his former club are likely to earn a future profit.
Asked if the money should be spent on the attacker, Reiss told Football Lodge: “I think so. He's a bit frustrating sometimes, though, because he has extraordinary skills, he can play football, but sometimes he ignores certain situations.
“He can't get the ball in easy moments. It's worth buying him, though, because if he shows up in European competition, he might sell for more than four million.
“He's a quality player. He makes a difference. As a defender, I'd be afraid to play against Palma. He plays a lot of one-on-one, he can do something. I'd buy him. The question is whether Lech's management can afford such a transfer.”
Luis Palma makes future transfer admission
Commenting on his future, Palma has thrown open the door to a permanent switch but admits the final decision is out of his hands. He stated: “I hope to stay at Lech for a long time. But it's not just my decision. I'm doing my thing day by day and I'm very happy about it.
“All I can do is keep doing that, but not everything depends on me. I have been a substitute in recent matches and that's the decision of the manager. But I always have the team's best interests at heart.
“I am working hard to get my place back in the team. That's football for you.”