Celtic were busy in the last few days of the summer transfer window, trying to bring in players who could help the team after the Hoops stumbled out of the gates this season. It remains to be seen how successful they were in their quest. The club did make three late additions. Luis Palma was signed from Aris FC. Nat Phillips and Paulo Bernardo arrive on loan deals from Liverpool and Benfica respectively.
Of course, most fans will remember that Palma was heavily linked with a move to the Rangers earlier in the summer. That did not happen and he has ended up at Parkhead instead.
Michael Beale seems to have his own view of the matter. And he recently talked out Palma, and the Rangers’ rumoured interest in the Honduran winger.
As reported by the Daily Record, Beale said about the matter:
"“There was nothing between me and the player. It was very late into last season, early into pre-season when someone from his club was pushing him around and we could have taken him on loan maybe with an obligation (to buy) at the time, but it wasn’t one we were willing to do.”"
Beale claims Rangers turned down new Celtic signing
To be very honest, it does not matter what the situation was between the Rangers and Palma. The fact of the matter is that he is a Celtic player right now.
What is most important to the club is that Palma performs in a Celtic jersey. He has big boots to fill as many are viewing him as the replacement for Jota.
Palma did a great job during his time at Aris FC. But it remains to be seen whether he is capable of filling the void left behind by Jota, who left earlier in the summer to join Al-Ittihad.
The Portuguese winger had established himself as a superstar during his two years at Celtic. He scored a number of important goals for the club and played a big part in their five title wins under the management of Ange Postecoglou. Many believe that he was the club’s most creative player during that period.