Luis Palma has re-entered the Celtic conversation after his performances and comments in Poland.
The winger is on loan at Lech Poznan, the team at the top of the Ekstraklasa, and has amassed eleven goal contributions.
They hold an option to buy the Honduras international, but to pay the reported sum of £3.5 million, Lech would have to break their record transfer fee.
This, coupled with Palma’s statement of loyalty to Celtic last week, makes it very possible that he is reintegrated into the squad next season.
Luis Palma: overrated or underrated?
Luis Palma should not be a Celtic player next season
He may have re-entered the conversation, but him re-entering the squad should not be entertained by the club.
Palma was occasionally an effective player for Celtic, but more often, he was an extremely frustrating full-stop in the team’s attack.
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In his debut season under Brendan Rodgers, Palma averaged well over two shots per game, among the highest in the league.
He had some joy cutting in on his right from the left flank, but very quickly, concerns over his lack of variation became clear.
If it was as simple as getting the ball to Palma and letting him cross or shoot on his right foot, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and he’d still be a mainstay in the team’s attack.
But his lack of speed and footwork, as well as a maddening refusal to use his left foot, quickly made him one of the most frustrating players in the 2023-24 squad. Let’s not forget that.
His biggest strength is his right foot, with which he can be deadly from all kinds of situations. But his lack of a rounded skillset was the reason why Rodgers so brutally abandoned him in his second season.
If you think he’s better than what we have – an honourable, if debatable, opinion – my response would be to remind you that the standards are on the floor.
Celtic would genuinely be better off sticking by the also frustrating Sebastian Tounekti, just as they stuck by Hyunjun Yang instead of Palma 18 months ago, a decision vindicated by the South Korean’s form this season.
The fact that the club also need to bin off Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Joel Mvuka as part of a major rebuild in the summer goes without saying.
Would you give Luis Palma another chance at Celtic?
Lech Poznan boss on Celtic loanee Luis Palma
Lech boss Niels Frederiksen, speaking about Palma after the winger’s comments last week, didn’t close the door on him staying in Poznan.
He said: “For me, his recent words weren’t a big deal. He remains a Celtic player, so he has to be loyal to them in some way.
“What matters to me is that he gives everything he has to help us.
“There will be time to decide on his future and, in my opinion, he’s also quite happy in Poznan.”
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