Fringe man Luis Palma has been told he SHOULDN’T worry about his future despite being in a “delicate moment” at Celtic.
The 24-year-old is struggling to make his mark in his second season at Celtic Park – but did make his first appearance in over a month when he came off the bench during the Champions League stalemate with Atalanta. Former Honduras international David Suazo has revealed that he held talks with the winger – and advised him that as long as he felt “happy and committed” to the club he should not eye a January move despite minimal minutes for the Scottish Premiership champions this term.
Offering an inside view on Palma’s mindset, he told Telivicentro: “Actually the talk with Luis was more about pleasure, advice, because they are situations that some players would like to receive, he comes from Scotland to Italy, a country where I live, I am close, it happened that we were able to talk to him. These are the things that help you when you are abroad, that someone you know comes to visit you in times of difficulty.
“Talking to him, I told him, don’t worry, we all go through these difficulties. I even told him an anecdote of mine at Cagliari where I went four months without scoring a goal and it’s the most difficult things in football that help you to grow.
“Thank God he had minutes because the delicate moment he is living with Celtic, these minutes add up, they make you see that he is improving and I felt happy and committed, and those are the things, the visits of a friend, of a compatriot helps you.”
Palma’s situation could see Celtic revive their interest in Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden. The 22-year-old has been on the Parkhead agenda in recent windows – and can play on the left flank or lead the frontline.
He is set mark 100 appearances for the club when they face FC Copenhagen on Sunday, and the forward left the door open for a Superliga exit with the Hoops and Werder Bremen being named as interested parties in recent windows.
He told Ekstra Bladet: “No, I don’t know if I had expected that (reaching 100 appearances). There is a long way to go in a league like the Superliga, where there are not that many matches.
“That’s why I think it’s even wilder that I’ve achieved that milestone. It is great to think that I have now played over 100 games. I don’t know what to expect next or from the future. There are rumours but there is not anything I can do about that.”
Hammarby forward Bazoumana Toure has also been touted with a move to Glasgow’s east end by reports in Sweden. The Hoops, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen are all said to have scouted the 18-year-old in recent months.
The Swedish club are said to be sticking to their bumper £8.3m price tag for the 18-year-old. And Fotboll Skanalen now claim that Aston Villa are the frontrunners for a deal.