Glasgow Rangers will head into the summer transfer window with plenty of work to do in order to build a team good enough to claim trophies next season.
Michael Beale will be given the time and funds to do this, however, business will need to be spot on, otherwise Celtic could motor on to new levels and leave the Ibrox outfit trailing behind.
Alfredo Morelos has already been confirmed as leaving, while Ryan Kent’s future also appears to lie away from Glasgow and this means Beale must strengthen his attacking options during the summer.
With recent reports suggesting that the Gers have scouted winger Luis Palma, Beale may be thinking that he could form a formidable attacking duo with him and Todd Cantwell.
Journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos has since claimed that the Light Blues are keen on signing him, yet no official bid has been made yet, with Aris Thessaloniki demanding €5m (£4.3m) for his services.
Who is Luis Palma?
Palma is similar to Kent in that he is a winger who can both score and generate assists regularly, having netted 13 times and registered eight assists across 36 games this term, proving himself to be a reliable threat for the Greek side.
Although Kent hasn’t quite been at the races this term with regard to goal contributions, registering just 13 goals and assists this term, the lowest of out of his four full seasons with the Light Blues, he still offered a threat from a wide position and since 2018, the Englishman has scored 33 goals and grabbed 57 assists.
That output will be missed but could well be replaced by the "outstanding" Palma – as dubbed by Honduran journalist Gustavo Roca.
One of his greatest strengths is his positional versatility, as the 23-year-old can operate on the opposite flank or as a centre forward, while even being known to drop deeper into an attacking midfield slot, with his career goals having been spread among these four positions.
The potential link up between Palma and attacking midfielder Cantwell, therefore, is a mouthwatering one and could cause havoc to opposition defences next season.
Indeed, the former Norwich City starlet has performed brilliantly since joining the club in January and will be a key cog in any success Rangers have moving forward.
Beale has deployed the Englishman on the right wing, and he is already the fourth-best rated player in the squad due to his Premiership performances – as per Sofascore – netting four goals and grabbing four assists in just 13 games, suggesting that after a full pre-season, he could be even better.
With Palma on the left, using his pace and eye for goal to devastating effect along with Cantwell utilising his creative talents on the right flank, Beale could set up two wingers who not only score but also generate plenty of chances for their teammates and whoever leads the line for the Light Blues next term should have an ideal opportunity to score plenty.
With six caps for Honduras and counting, Palma has international experience which will stand him in good stead should he make the move to Scotland and there is no reason to suggest he couldn’t shine in the Premiership.
The winger has scored twice against Greek giants Olympiacos this term, suggesting that playing the likes of St Mirren and Ross County shouldn’t pose a significant problem and his appetite for goal could give Beale another useful addition to his Rangers squad.
The dazzling talent may well require time to settle, but judging by his statistics over the course of this season, the £4.3m fee would be well worth it.
