Celtic could sanction Palma’s departure with a move for the £8.5m “sensational” star

The January transfer window officially opened last week and there have already been plenty of rumours Celticof potential moves, inward and outward.

A return to Parkhead for Kieran Tierney is the most tangible rumor to arrive to date, with reports that the signing of the club is expected the Scotland international on loan from Arsenal this month, before his contract at the Emirates expires at the end of the season.

However, the Premier League full-back is not the only player to have been linked with a move to Glasgow ahead of the deadline, as the Hoops also reportedly delighted on Burnley captain Josh Brownhill, who is another star entering the final months of his contract.

Brendan Rodgers was also related to interest in a reunion with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, with whom he worked at Leicester City, as he struggled for playing time with Chelsea this season.

There could also be a move away from Parkhead as the Celtic boss could move players from the club to make room for new signings to come in and strengthen the squad.

One player who was praised coming out of Scottish Premiership champions before the end of the January transfer window is Luis Palma, who has attracted interest elsewhere.

The latest on Luis Palma’s future

According to a recent report from Honduran outlet Diezas he reports Scottish sunCeltic have already rejected two bids from unnamed clubs for the left-back this month.

It has been claimed that the Hoops hope to keep hold of the Honduras international until the end of the season, despite starting one of his six league appearances, unless a suitable offer arrives that could change their minds about his short-term future.

The outlet added that the Scottish giants would like to recoup the fee of around £3m they paid to sign him from Aris in the summer of 2023 to allow him to leave.

While the original report from Diez did not name any interested parties, The Scottish Sun mentioned that Genoa, Atlanta United and Orlando City have interest in a permanent deal for the winger, while Rayo Vallecano hope to sign him on loan.

There is previously reported that Celtic would only allow Palma to move from Parkhead in the January transfer window if they could bring in players in his position, so as not to leave Rodgers short in that part of the pitch ahead of the second half of the season.

With this in mind, the Hoops should pounce on one of their reported targets to allow the Northern Irish boss to approve a transfer for the winger, amid strong interest in him, before the end of the window.

Celtic interest in £8.5m forward

In early December, Football Insider reported that Celtic had aim for a rush for versatile Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden in January as they look to add to their current options at the top of the pitch.

The report claims the Bhoys are monitoring the Danish star’s progress at his current club and are interested in a deal to bring him to Parkhead to bolster Rodgers’ squad ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 season.

It has been revealed that the Celtic manager is looking to add extra strength in depth to make his squad injury-free, with the Premiership, SFA Cup and Champions League still to play for in the coming months.

But Football Insider added that the Scottish side are prepared to wait until the end of the season to complete a deal for him if they cannot get a transfer over the line before the February deadline.

However, this interest in Kvistgaarden is nothing new, as was the Hoops related to interest in the Danish U21 national team in the summer transfer window, at which point the young man said he was valued at around £8.5 million.

Rodgers must now push for the board to finally seal a deal to bring the Danish dynamo to Parkhead before the end of this term, as his arrival could allow the manager to approve Palma’s departure.

Why Celtic should sign Mathias Kvistgaarden

The 22-year-old forward is a versatile forward who could provide the Celtic manager with another option in all three front-line attacking roles, as can play through the middle as a central striker or on both flanks as a winger.

Interestingly, Kvistgaarden has scored five goals and has provided one assist in ten games at left-back so far in his career, suggesting he can provide a strong attacking presence in that role – despite it not being his natural position.

With Daizen Maeda first choice on the left flank ahead of Palma, Celtic do not need to sign a guaranteed starter on the left to allow the Honduran international to leave.

Signing Kvistgaarden, who could mainly be used as a center forward, would allow the club to move former ace Aris this month, as they would then have a quality option that could be used in that position if Maeda were to drop out or rested.

Dinamo Brondby, who was described as “absolutely sensational” U23 scout Antonio Mango has been in fantastic form in the Danish top flight this season, suggesting he has the ability to step in and offer Rodgers a quality option through the middle or out wide.

As you can see in the table above, Kvistgaarden has been a regular threat at the top of the pitch with an incredible 14 goals and assists in 12 Superliga starts.

Meanwhile, Kyogo Furuhashi is scored eight goals and missed 15 ‘big chances’ in 19 Premiership games, suggesting the £8.5m-rated star could come as an upgrade on the Japanese lad if he can transfer his form to Scottish football.

Therefore, Kvistgaarden could be a great signing for Celtic as he could offer the versatility that would allow Rodgers to approve a sale to Palma and the quality that could improve the team at centre-forward.