Celtic have transfer deal 'agreed' for Arne Engels replacement and Hoops aren't done yet in summer window
Hoops are targeting several new additions before Wednesday’s Deadline Day
Celtic have ‘agreed’ a £3.4m deal for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joel van den Berg, who has been identified as a replacement for Arne Engels.
The Hoops received an EFL Championship record-breaking fee for the Belgian midfielder of £22m and are looking to reinvest. German maestro Mika Baur was signed from Paderborn in this area but as Celtic boss Martin O’Neill claimed at the weekend, they need more ‘strength in-depth’.
Van den Berg, 19, came through the youth ranks at PSV and has made six senior appearances for the current Eredivisie champions. He is now about to travel to the UK to complete his Celtic medical. The champions are also in the market for more midfield squad additions on top of the Dutchman ahead of the transfer market closure at 5pm (BST) on Wednesday.
Celtic deal ‘agreed’ for Van den Berg
According to Sky Sports: “Celtic have agreed a £3.4m deal to sign PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joel van den Berg. It’s understood the Netherlands U19 international is due to travel to the UK tomorrow to undergo a medical and finalise the paperwork on his move. It’s believed the Scottish champions view van den Berg as a replacement to Arne Engels, who departed to West Ham for £22m earlier this month. The Hoops are also looking to add another central midfielder to the squad before Thursday’s Scottish transfer deadline.”
A physical midfielder with an eye for goal, natural comparisons can be drawn between van den Berg and Engels, however for PSV, the former is generally deployed in a more attacking role. Having captained the Netherlands Under-19 side, the teenager has also displayed leadership qualities.
Where else are Celtic looking for midfield reinforcements?
Torino maestro Gvidas Gineitis has been a long-time transfer target for the Hoops, but they’ve been unable to reach an agreement on price with the Italians. The 21-year old is valued at £9m by the club, however Celtic had a bid rejected around the £6.5m mark.
Celtic’s lack of depth was apparent in their Champions League defeat to LASK Linz last week as they failed to qualify for the competition. For the season ahead, O’Neill claims there is a major need for more ‘strength in-depth’, as they now prepare for Europa League football. He said: “If we want to defend our title and get something in the Europa League we need a bit more strength in depth. I think that's pretty obvious."