Rodgers could cash in on Palma through Celtic deal for an 'artist' worth £5m

Celtic They are set to head into Christmas Day in first place in the Scottish Premier League table despite losing points at the weekend to Dundee United.

The Hoops were unable to find the back of the net at Tannadice Park, drawing 0-0 on Sunday, only the second time the Hoops have drawn. Brendan RodgersThe team lost points in the first division this season.

Their 2-2 draw with Aberdeen earlier in the season was the only other time, in 16 games so far, that the Scottish giants failed to secure all three points.

The Bhoys have impressed in all competitions, as well as the Premier League, where they have already lifted the League Cup by beating Rangers 5-4 on penalties following a 3-3 draw in normal time at Hampden Park earlier this month.

Celtic are also on their way to qualifying for the Champions League playoff stage, after one defeat in six matches in the first European Cup competition.

For all their success in all competitions, the Premier League champions can look to make some changes to their squad in the upcoming January transfer window, and Luis Palma is one player who could be in the lurch.

Why should Luis Palma be sold?

The Honduras international made a rare league appearance on Sunday, coming on as a substitute His fifth appearance Season in the section.

He has failed to convince Rodgers to give him regular minutes in the Premier League and has been linked with a move away from Parkhead ahead of the second half of the season.

The Scottish Sun newspaper reported. At the start of this month, MLS clubs were looking to sign the former Aries winger, who is said to be considering his future at Parkhead due to a lack of playing time in the 2024/25 season.

Palma has Zero goals and zero assists In five Premier League matches, he did not contribute a single goal in his 16-minute Champions League match.

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old has had a solid first season with the Scottish giants, scoring 21 goals and creating 'big chances' in just 18 appearances.

Unfortunately, though, the Honduran star was unable to progress beyond the promising initial signs shown in Glasgow, and Rodgers did not feel he was in a position to start regularly over the likes of Daisen Maeda, Nicholas Khun and James Forrest. And Hyun Joon Yang.

The Northern Irishman could now take ruthless advantage of Palma amid interest from Major League Soccer by swooping to sign one of the club's reported targets in the position.

Celtic interest in the Norwegian star

Earlier this month, Norwegian sports outlet NettavisenAs I quoted it Celtic starCeltic are eyeing a potential deal for Sarpsborg striker Sonder Urjasaeter ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claimed that the Premier League champions were monitoring his displays in Norway during the 2024 campaign, which recently ended.

Orjasaeter is currently team-mates with former Celtic Player of the Year winner Stefan Johansen and the former Hoops star could have plenty of good words to say about the Glasgow giants convincing the 21-year-old gem to make the move in January.

However, he has not revealed how much Sarpsborg want for the impressive left-winger, or whether or not Bhoi's family are prepared to make a formal bid to secure his services.

Daily Mail reports Rodgers wants to add a left winger to his squad next month but it remains to be seen whether or not that player is Orjasaeter, whose value is estimated at around £5 million via Transfermarkt At this moment in time.

Celtic must, now, rush to sign the Norway Under-21 international when the January transfer window officially opens for business next month, as bringing him to Parkhead would free up space for the club to make ruthless use of Palma.

Why Celtic should sign Sondre Orjasaeter

Firstly, his arrival would provide the Hoops manager with two good options on the left wing, with he and Maeda competing for a starting spot, and this would allow Rodgers to move the Honduras international without worrying about a lack of depth in that area. From the stadium.

Secondly, Urjaseiter only turned 21 last month and will arrive at Parkhead as a talented young player with potential to develop, meaning the Hoops could help him improve his performances on the pitch and, as a result, increase his value to the team. Potential future sale.

Finally, the 21-year-old magician's form in the Premier League during the 2024 season suggests that the potential is there for him to come in and provide Maeda with real competition for his place in the starting XI in the second half of the season.

Orgasiter, who was Nicknamed “The Artist” By Former Wolves star Havard Flo is a right-footed left winger who has the quality to get onto his preferred foot to provide quality as both a goalscorer and goalscorer for his team.

When compared to Maeda's form in 2023/24, where the Sarpsborg star has just finished a full season in the league, the Celtic target fits in very well.

As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian dynamo has the ability to provide significantly more creativity, while not wasting the chances that come his way in the final third.

These stats suggest that Rodgers could bring in a player to improve his squad offensively by signing the Sarpsborg star, although it remains to be seen whether or not this model can translate to Scottish football, given his ability to consistently create high-quality chances. . To his colleagues.

On paper, Orjasaeter looks like a good option for the Hoops to pounce on in January, and his arrival would finally allow them to cash in on Palma.