Who is Celtic star Luis Palma? The man wanted by Sunderland, Stoke City and QPR | OneFootball

We took a look at who Championship target Luis Palma is in further depth

Celtic winger Luis Palma is a man in demand this month, with recent reports stating that he is a target for a number of clubs both in the Championship and abroad.

Football Insider reported that Sunderland, Stoke City, QPR and Swansea City were racing to secure his signature, whilst the Daily Record have reported that Serie A side Genoa are keen.

Palma will be an unknown quantity to most English football supporters, given the fact he's never played in this country, so we've taken a look at who the Championship target is in further detail.

Luis Palma's career so far

The 25-year-old winger began his career in his homeland of Honduras with C.D.S Vida in the Liga Hondubet, the top-flight of Honduran football, and he made his senior debut in 2017, spending five years with the club in total.

There was also a brief loan move to the USA with the Real Monarchs in 2019, playing in the third tier of American football for an affiliate club of MLS side Real Salt Lake, before heading back to Honduras with C.D.S Vida.

In 2021, Palma won his first cap for the Honduras senior side, and he's won 18 caps in total, scoring three times.

He sealed his big move to Europe in January 2022 when he left C.D.S Vida for Greek top-flight side Aris Thessaloniki, and the 18 months he spent in Northern Greece was enough to seal a move to Celtic Park.

Palma made 52 appearances for Aris, scoring 17 goals and registering 11 assists, an impressive return, and it's easy to see why Celtic forked out a reported £3.5million to secure his signature.

It looked like money well-spent initially as Palma scored ten goals and registered ten assists in 36 appearances for Brendan Rodgers' side, helping them to the Scottish Premiership title, while he also bagged two goals in the Champions League, becoming the first Honduran to score in the competition.

However, things have been more difficult for Palma at Celtic Park this season, and while he's made 11 appearances in all competitions, he's made just one league start and is yet to register a goal or an assist.

Despite signing a five-year deal at Celtic Park in the summer of 2023, he looks set to leave the club this month, and it's fair to say he's got plenty of suitors.

Luis Palma will be an excellent signing for Championship clubs if he replicates his 2023/24 form

It's been a difficult campaign for the Honduran winger, but the 2023/24 season showed what he was capable of, and it's no surprise to see Championship clubs interested in signing him.

Palma started 17 of the 27 Scottish Premiership games he was available for, displaying an eye for goal as he scored six times, and his form in the Champions League, where he scored against sides like Atlético Madrid and Feyenoord, shows he'll have no problems adjusting to the Championship.

Given his lack of playing time this season, Palma will be keen to get regular football under his belt during the second half of the campaign, and it would be a real coup should a Championship side secure his signature this month.