THE question surrounding Luis Palma for the past few months has been where, not when, he would depart Celtic.
A £3.5million acquisition for the Hoops in 2023, he joined after an outstanding season with Aris in Greece, and high hopes were placed on the Honduran winger.
He was given a five-year contract, and in his debut season in Scotland, he appeared to justify every penny.
Palma netted 12 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions for Celtic but suffered an injury near the end of the campaign, and when Brendan Rodgers’ squad regrouped ahead of the new season, it seemed Palma had slipped in the hierarchy.
He was loaned to Olympiacos last season, and the Parkhead club have been eager to transfer him out this summer.
A move to MLS seemed probable, but now it appears he’s rejected a switch stateside to remain in Europe and chase Champions League football.
According to Football Insider and various reports in Poland, the 25-year-old has agreed to join Polish champions Lech Poznan on loan.
Palma scored one goal and provided one assist in 11 appearances for Olympiacos during his loan stint, and upon his return, he wasn’t included in Celtic’s squad for their pre-season trip to Portugal.
It’s reported that Palma also received offers from the English Championship and Turkey, as well as the MLS.
But Poznan can provide him with potential Champions League football, and if that falls through, they could still participate in the Europa League or Europa Conference League.
He attracted interest from MLS clubs as early as December, while Greek Super League teams Panathinaikos, PAOK, and AEK Athens were also connected with him.
Palma played for Vida in his native Honduras and Real Monarchs in the USA before moving to Aris in 2022.
He operated as a striker or winger during a standout season with the Greek team, which secured him the transfer to Glasgow.
He has so far featured 27 times for his country, scoring six goals.