Celtic star to shatter EFL Championship transfer record as O'Neill 'disappointed' after West Ham deal agreed
Midfielder attracted multiple bids from Nottingham Forest in January but will now get to live out his Premier League dream
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels is set to undergo a medical at West Ham after the club agreed a bumper deal with the Scottish champions for the Belgian international.
Engels has emerged as a key transfer target for the Hammers as they prepare for their first EFL Championship campaign in 14 years, with the club aiming to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Londoners opened talks with the Hoops last month but initially struggled to reach an agreement over a fee for the player. However, Standard Sport understands a deal worth potentially more than £25million, including add-ons, has now been struck.
The initial fee is understood to be £22m, which would set a new Championship transfer record. Burnley currently hold the mark after signing Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis permanently for £20.8m in July, before selling him to Ipswich Town.
Engels, who attracted multiple bids from Nottingham Forest in January, is understood to have travelled to London on Friday to complete his medical and finalise a long-term contract.
The 22-year-old would become West Ham's fourth signing of the summer window, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo understood to value Engels' versatility, with the player capable of operating in central midfield or out wide.
West Ham are now stepping up their recruitment ahead of the September 1st deadline after a slow start to their summer business following relegation from the English top-flight on the final day of last season. They successfully raised more than £150m through the sales of several key players.
Engels scored 17 goals and registered 22 assists in 100 appearances across all competitions for Celtic after joining from German outfit FC Augsburg in 2024 for a then club-record £11m. He went on to win two Premiership titles and both domestic cups during his time in Glasgow.
The midfielder began his career with Club Brugge and has four senior caps for Belgium, although he was not included in their World Cup squad this summer.
West Ham began the new season with a 3-1 comeback victory over Portsmouth in the first round of the Carabao Cup last weekend. They open their Championship campaign on Sunday with a trip to fellow promotion rivals Burnley.
Martin O’Neill ‘disappointed’ as Engels nears exit
Engels looks set to move down south ahead of Celtic’s crucial Champions League play-off first leg against LASK next Wednesday but manager Martin O’Neill understood why he was keen to complete the transfer.
Speaking at a media conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup second round tie against Dundee United, the 74-year-oldsaid: “I would imagine that he’s probably at this minute doing the medical. West Ham wanted him to be available for the opening day of the season. Naturally disappointed, really, that he’s leaving the football club, he’s done very well for us.
“And it’s hard to dissuade him of that. If it hadn’t come up, I think he’d have been happy. Even though the offer came in very late from Nottingham Forest in January, he never moaned about it at all. So it’s an opportunity for him and it’s really hard for him to turn it down.
“Ideally, I’d love him to have stayed and maybe completed after the two games. It probably wasn’t going to happen. You’ve got a concern, I suppose, with the fact that Alistair played for us when there was an offer on the table, hurt himself, maybe things like that there may disappear.
“I suppose Arne was probably worried the same sort of thing might happen. From a playing viewpoint, I probably can understand that.”