Celtic set to seal Luis Palma transfer ahead of Old Firm clash amid strong Rangers links
Celtic have agreed a deal to sign Luis Palma after the winger was “strongly linked” to a Rangers move all summer, according to Mail Plus.
The newspaper reports via their website on Friday (25 August) that the Honduran is “on his way” to Parkhead after a £3.5million transfer was agreed, amid rival interest from Watford and Anderlecht, after being urged to make the switch by ex-Hoops defender Emilio Izaguirre.
Brendan Rodgers is reportedly looking to add to his squad further ahead of the first Old Firm derby of the season next weekend (3 September) in what is tipped to be a “busy week of transfer activity”.
Palma has been linked to an Ibrox move since April after the Gers scouted the 23-year-old, and was still being named as a target of interest in the past week.
But Rangers Review’s Jonny McFarlane disputed the reports on Thursday (24 August) to say that the Light Blues haven’t been in for him this summer as they focused on other targets and the coast was clear for Celtic to sign him.
New rival
Assuming this deal gets completed there is bound to be some extra focus on how Palma performs in Glasgow, and as fate would have it the first derby of the season may see him make his debut.
Winger has been mooted as one of Beale’s final priorities of the window, with a lack of width and pace seen as stifling some of the creativity in the early weeks of the season.
Ryan Kent and Fashion Sakala, as well as Malik Tillman, have all gone from last season’s squad with only Abdallah Sima brought in as an obvious wide option.
But the emergence of Rabbi Matondo in the past couple of games may have addressed that need already, especially with Tom Lawrence on his way back from injury.
Clearly, Beale and Gers fans will hope that Palma doesn’t prove to be a massive hit across the city but whether he will count as a missed opportunity appears to be up for debate.
Celtic’s arrival at Ibrox in just over a week’s time is already a crucial clash early in the campaign, and the first meeting of Beale and Rodgers as opposite numbers, but the potential involvement of Palma may have even upped the stakes further.
In other Rangers news, another option at the position in question is on the way out as his “career at Rangers is over” now.