Celtic Handed New Headache as Summer Transfer Decision Made

Celtic are going to have quite a few moves to deal with this summer, and beyond just the additions and transfers, they also have a few loanees coming back. One of the more notable ones is going to be winger Luis Palma, who the Hoops sent out on loan to Greek side Olympiacos in the winter through the end of this season.

While Palma had a few outstanding goals in his time with the Scottish side, his consistency was less than optimal, and he struggled immensely with progressing the ball safely without losing possession.

This was a common occurrence and was ultimately what led to Celtic seeking an alternative option, finding him a spot in Greece, where he used to play for Aris FC before his move to Parkhead.

The unfortunate reality of this loan has been that Palma has not found his stride, as in 12 appearances with the club, he has only one goal and one assist to his name. These performances have been sparse as he has not been utilised all that often.

It is unfortunate that the Honduran has been unable to find any traction, and while he has shown flashes of what makes him an exciting prospective player, he has never maintained the level of efficient play that is required at the top level of football.

Now things become even more intriguing in the Palma situation, as according to Greek media site Newsit, he is expected to be "a thing of the past" for Olympiacos, and that the Honduran is "not among its possible options" for strengthening the roster. They also note that it would be difficult for the club to activate the option on his loan.

Olympiacos had a buyout option included in the deal. This essentially indicates that Palma will be coming back to Celtic after the end of his loan this summer, and they will now have to make a decision on whether they want to keep him, loan him to a new team to see if he can put things together there, or if possible, engineer a permanent transfer.

This will be one of the bigger discussions around the club over the course of the next few months, as figuring out what to do with Palma will be critical, especially if they can find a club to send him to on transfer.

If they do intend on keeping him, which seems unlikely, they would have to find a spot for him on the roster, which despite a depleted front line unit, may not have a roster opening at this time. But perhaps Jota's long-term injury could open up an opportunity for the Honduran winger.