The Champions League factor that may see Celtic star make big future decision amid West Ham transfer interest
Sought after midfielder may have a decision on his hands if Celtic defeat LASK Linz
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels might be convinced to stay at the club if they qualify for the Champions League, according to pundit Kris Boyd.
The 22-year old has been the subject of multiple rejected bid from West Ham United - who reportedly haven’t met Celtic’s £25m evaluation of the player. However, having been relegated from the Premier League last season, former Rangers striker Boyd has questioned if a move to East London would be more attractive to the Belgian if Celtic make it to the biggest stage of them all. Top tier English side Nottingham Forest also had multiple bids rejected for Engels in January.
The Hoops will face Austrian champions LASK Linz in round one of their two-legged Champions League play-off next Wednesday. After two wins from two domestically thus far, Martin O’Neill’s side momentum on their side - but Hoops fans won’t need reminding that at the same stage last season, they were knocked out by Kazakhstan minnows Kairat Almaty.
Champions League could turn Engels’ head - Boyd
Boyd thinks that if Celtic were to qualify - Engels might want to stick around for the Champions League over the Championship, despite West Ham’s mammoth reputation south of the border. He told the Sun: “I think Arne Engels will have a big say in whether Celtic qualify for the Champions League - especially after his performance yesterday (in the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock. You then wonder, even though it’s London and West Ham are a massive club, it’s still the Championship. You think with the Nottingham Forest bids that were rejected in January - that’s a Premier League team. So he might think he can maybe get something else.”
Things haven’t always went Engels’ way at Celtic Park since his £11m transfer from Augsburg, as he’s at times struggled with consistency and injuries. However after a strong end to last season, where he scored in the title-clinching victory over Hearts and in the Scottish Cup final win against Dunfermline Athletic, he looks to have turned a corner. Fast forward to now, after two strong performances in the triumphs over Dundee and Kilmarnock so far, the Belgian looks to have picked up where he left off.
West Ham stance on signing Engels
The Hammers have raked in a combined £145m for midfielder Mateus Fernandes and winger Crysencio Summerville as manager Nuno Espirito Santo looks to reinvest in talent to ensure their stay in the second tier is as short as possible. In the background, they currently have former Rangers Director of Football Recruitment Nils Koppen, who is in a similar role at the London Stadium.
The West Ham boss refused to speaking on any transfer-linked player specifically, but when asked about Engels, he responded: “Nils [Koppen] knows exactly the positions we have to strengthen and we are working every day. But for the respect of the boys we have here and are working every day, I am not speaking about any players. For respect to the club they belong to, and with respect to the players themselves.”