Celtic ace could turn £60m star amid Nottingham Forest transfer interest as big money bid backed to turn heads
The midfielder has been linked with moves to Nottingham Forest and Lazio.
He might not be the complete package now - but a Celtic star’s value has been backed to soar amid Nottingham Forest and Lazio rumours.
The Premier League and Serie A duo have been linked this week with moves for Hoops midfielder Arne Engels. Nottingham Forest launched huge bids in excess of £20m for the Belgian international in the latter stages of the winter transfer window but Celtic opted to keep Engels around.
He has divided opinion since the Premiership champions shelled out £11m to sign him in 2024 from Augbsburg and some were surprised to see a major bid from the Premier League rejected. Aiden McGeady, the former Hoops winger, knows his ex-side’s model is to buy emerging talent and sell high. Rejecting Nottingham Forest advances surprised him too and the club hero doesn’t expect Engels to be a Celtic player come next autumn.
Will Arne Engels stay at Celtic?
McGeady said on Go Radio: “I think it'd be surprising if he ends up staying at Celtic. I think Celtic has always been known as a selling club, a developing club. Most players that they bring in, they try to develop them, kind of rough diamonds in a way. It doesn't always work out but Celtic have a track record of bringing in players, developing them on, giving them a platform, and selling them on.
“So I think it was surprising that Celtic turned down the reported bid in the January window from Nottingham Forest. I think they went up to 20 or £25 million. To turn that down, I thought at that time was making a good chunk of profit on a player who a lot of people thought was kind of overpriced to start with. I'd be surprised if a bid isn’t accepted if a big offer comes.
“There's no smoke without fire. See when interest comes, I don't know if everybody knows this, but when a bid comes in from a team and there's interest, the player has already spoken to the team. The player has already spoken to the team and gave the green light. After that, it's down to the clubs to negotiate a fee. I'd be surprised if he's still there, but look, I think it's his age and technically I think he's all-round. He is a good player. I think Celtic could lose him and still be okay.”
How much is Arne Engels worth?
Kevin Kyle was also on the panel and agreed a big bid may tempt Celtic into a re-think. The former Scotland and Rangers striker said: “Celtic are a selling club and the way this season's going, and the possibility of maybe missing out in Champions League and winning league titles, Celtic next season won't have those funds that are going to be able to generate. Because there is going to be a massive change with them.
“They've got six players out on loan, six players in on loan, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate potentially want to leave. So there's going to be a rebuild there. So Celtic's going to need as much spending money as they possibly can do, and 20 to £25 million pounds for Arne Engels. That potentially could bring in maybe two or three players that could equally do better than what we've already seen with Arne Engels.”
McGeady then came back in with a big money prediction. He said: “I'm just going to say the caveat to that could be that he's not the finished article. If a team spends £25m on him from England or from somewhere in Europe on the continent, that could turn into a 50-£60 million pound player. We’ve seen it before. I do think he is more suited to a foreign style of play. I think if Celtic are offered that type of money they have to take it.”
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