Celtic launch £3.5m move for Honduran winger Luis Palma after Jota’s exit with Brendan Rodgers hoping to add three or four more players before the deadline
Celtic launch a £3.5 million move for Honduran winger Luis Palma after Jota’s departure, with Brendan Rodgers hoping to add three or four more players before the deadline
- The Aris Thessaloniki winger has attracted attention from Rangers and elsewhere
- Celtic need a replacement for Jota, following his £25 million move to Al-Ittihad
- WATCH: ‘It All Begins’ – Episode 2 – The brand new football show from Mail Sport
Celtic have launched a £3.5 million transfer for coveted winger Luis Palma from Aris Thessaloniki.
The 23-year-old, a Honduran international, has been closely linked with rivals Rangers as a replacement for Ryan Kent.
Having scored 16 goals for his current club in Greece, Palma has also attracted a lot of interest from a number of clubs across Europe, including Watford and Anderlecht.
As they scour the market for a broad man to fill the void left by Jota’s £25m move to Saudi Arabia, wages are an obstacle to Celtic’s moves for Wolves winger Daniel Podence and Ryan Fraser out Newcastle.
Brendan Rodgers hopes to add three or four signings before the period closes at the end of this month.
Celtic hope to sign Aris Thessaloniki winger Luis Palma in a deal worth £3.5 million
Honduran international Palma has been linked with several clubs, including Rangers
After Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock, the Parkhead boss said: ‘We want good players, whatever their age. We need quality, that’s for sure.
“Hopefully we can improve the selection between now and the end of the period.”
Meanwhile, Reo Hatate has asked Celtic to postpone talks over a new contract until the end of the transfer window.
Representatives of the Japan international are in talks with the Scottish champion about an extension of his current contract.
Celtic want Hatate and Israeli winger Liel Abada to commit to new agreements before the end of the period.
He is currently under contract until 2026. Figures close to Hatate say he can still commit to a new deal in Glasgow.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has spoken of the need for further ‘quality signings’ this summer
However, public in his desire to test himself in a bigger league at some point, the 25-year-old has previously attracted the window of interest from Saudi Arabia.
Reluctant to rush anything until a full range of options become clear, talks have now been suspended until early next month at the earliest.
Linked to English Premier League clubs Tottenham and Brighton, a move to the top league in England, France, Germany, Italy or Spain would have great appeal for Hatate.
And while the supply from the Middle East has been significant, numbers close to the player say cash won’t be the driving force for what happens next.
(TagsToTranslate)dailymail