New arrival could feature against Freiburg
Motherwell have agreed a fee to sign striker Seb Palmer-Houlden from Gillingham, with manager Alfred Johansson hoping the forward can be involved in Thursday's Conference League play-off first leg against Freiburg at Fir Park.
Johansson confirmed the club is waiting on international clearance but is optimistic the 22-year-old will be available. "We are hoping he will be involved tomorrow," he said. "We are waiting for international clearance, but it should be very doable."
Palmer-Houlden, who previously spent time on loan at Motherwell during the 2024/25 season, has joined on a permanent deal. The move comes as Motherwell deals with a lengthy injury list that has left them without several first-team forwards.
Injury crisis prompts move
Motherwell have been struggling for firepower with injuries to Callum Hendry, Eythor Bjorgolfsson and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, among others. The club has also added Oscar Priestman and Johnny Koutroumbis to the injured list, joining captain Paul McGinn, Stephen O'Donnell and Tom Sparrow on the sidelines.
Johansson described the squad as "injury-hit" and acknowledged the need for a natural number nine. He praised Palmer-Houlden's attributes, saying the striker loves to run in behind, work hard, and press. "He is a young, exciting striker who has a lot of attributes you are looking for in a No. 9," Johansson said.
Manager defends team selection after cup exit
Motherwell's recent form has been under scrutiny after they exited the Premier Sports Cup at Stenhousemuir. Johansson faced criticism for his team selection in that match, but he defended his approach. "It was a team I believed at that moment was the best team to perform on Sunday," he said.
The manager also pointed to the club's rotation policy, saying: "In all the games, I haven't played the same IX twice. We have been rotating a lot."
Gillingham boss hails 'success story'
At Gillingham, manager Gareth Ainsworth described Palmer-Houlden's move as a "success story" for the club. Palmer-Houlden joined the Gills from Bristol City last summer and scored four league goals in 35 appearances, almost half of those from the bench.
Ainsworth said the deal made financial sense for Gillingham and praised the striker's attitude during his time at Priestfield. "You gave me absolutely everything, nothing short of everything every day," Ainsworth said. "And what a great lad to deal with. Hopefully he goes on to do really good things up nor"
Ainsworth also said Gillingham is looking for a replacement and could have someone in before Saturday. He expressed confidence in forward Will Goodwin, saying the player could become a "big player" for the club.