Reasons why European regular want Celtic transfer raid on 'dynamic' player as low-budget option emerges
The Hoops loanee is on the radar of La Liga side Sevilla
As Celtic loanee Luis Palma continues to impress for Lech Poznan, the ‘dynamic’ winger could reportedly be making the switch to Spanish giants Sevilla, in the summer transfer window.
After falling out of favour at Celtic Park, the 26-year old was farmed out to the Polish Estraklasa in July, where he his enjoying a resurgence in form. Palma has 17 goal contributions to his name already this season for the league leaders, who are five matches away from back-to-back titles. Lech Poznan will have an option to buy the Honduran at the end of the season for around £3.5m, something boss Niels Fredericksen is considering, given his numbers.
Before making the Poland switch, Palma was also farmed out to Olympiacos under Brendan Rodgers last season, in a spell that didn’t go to plan. Amid his career revival, Sevilla are now monitoring his progress at Poznan and are waiting to strike in he summer upon his Celtic return. However, this could all depend on their status in the Spanish football pyramid next year.
Sevilla after Palma on one condition
La Roja are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in recent memory and currently sit 17th in La Liga, only a point clear of the relegation zone. It’s been a monumental fall from grace from Luis Garcia’s side, who’ve won eight European trophies over the past two decades. According to OB, If they were to go down, then it would seriously scupper their chances of signing Palma.
They say: “Sevilla is closely monitoring his (Palma’s) contract situation. The player belongs to Celtic, is on loan at Lech Poznań until June, and has a contract until 2028. The transfer will only proceed if Sevilla remains in La Liga, as the club is currently 16th with 34 points and their survival depends on the final matches of the season.
“In Poland, he has made 41 official appearances, scoring 8 goals and providing 9 assists across the league and Conference League. He is a dynamic player with excellent dribbling skills, a knack for getting forward, and the ability to make decisions in transition. He can also play centrally or on the right wing, although he performs best when starting from the left and cutting inside.”
What are the chances of Palma returning to Celtic?
Given the age of James Forrest, Celtic may need to start thinking about long term replacements for their winger beyond next season. However, the 34-year old has just signed a new deal to keep him at the club another year, making a Palma return unlikely given their depth in this area.
Despite this, the winger hasn’t ruled out a return to Celtic and recently claimed while on international duty that he still has ambitions to play at the very highest level. He told Honduran media: “At Celtic I had a great time, I enjoyed it a lot. I want to have a second chance, I have a contract with them, I’m still part of the club and if they say I have to return, I’ll do it in the best way possible.
“My dream is to return to a high-performance league; for me, the Scottish league was a high-performance one. I got to play what every player wants to play, which was the Champions League — that dream hasn’t died yet. I want to feel that sensation again of playing one of those matches.”
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