Plenty of Celtic fans wondered what kind of player we might be getting when we signed Aris Salonika attacker Luis Palma back at the end of August 2023 for a reported £3.5 million, and in fairness to the 24 year old Honduran international, his actual games to goals ratio is not too bad at all in reality.
Parkhead manager Brendan Rodgers has called on his services four times so far during the 2024/25 domestic Scottish campaign, and although he is yet to find the net this year and has not featured since our 5-2 victory over Falkirk back in September 22nd’s Scottish League Cup clash, his club record now stands at ten goals in 25 starting appearances and 15 substitute showings.
With him being down the pecking order so far this year for those fans who enjoy football betting they will be keeping an eye on the odds of him moving on in January. Particularly as he also faced significant criticism online following his social media behaviour after his poor display in his only start this season (the Falkirk clash), and then having failed to make the matchday squad for the 6-0 victory over St Johnstone, many believed that the 16 capped wide man would likely be off on loan come the opening of the January transfer window, but this week it is being reported that he has told the gaffer that he wants to stick around and see out the season in Glasgow.
The original claim comes from outlet El Heraldo and they state that having held talks with Rodgers over a potential exit in the New Year, he has taken the ‘personal decision’ to remain with us and continue to fight to earn his place back as he seeks much greater game time.
This is apparently despite both Celtic and the player knowing that suitors in other divisions have already previously expressed an interest in trying to do a deal come January, as simply put he wants to ‘repay the trust of his coach, with whom he has a good relationship’.
The Palma story has emerged amidst the more recent links that have appeared on the rumour mill suggesting that we have again began keeping a close eye on Royal Antwerp’s 23 year old Belgian Under 21 international forward, Michel-Ange ra Balikwisha, but Palma has certainly turned the headlines back in his direction, particularly as it is also said that he is going to take a break from social media so he can place his full focus on recovering the form that first actually attracted us to him.
For those Hoops fans with longer memories, they will remember that we have been tentatively linked with Balikwisha previously, and he was said to have been of interest to us during the last transfer window, but naturally we did not firm up our apparent interest and no concrete approach was made.
Club CEO Sven Jaecques is apparently on record now as saying that he expects Celtic to revive their interest in the New Year, and his intentions are quite clear, as he has already posited that there would be a deal to be done if they were to receive an offer in the region of around the £5 million mark given the current situation surrounding his existing contract which is set to expire in 2026, and they clearly want to fully cash in whilst they can as they know a contract extension is not going to be agreed.
We will have to see what happens with Balikwisha, but for now, Palma remains in the picture.
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