West Ham United 'close' to Celtic transfer raid as summer coup could be pulled off amid Premier League bidding
Midfielder has attracted interest from across Europe
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels is ‘close’ to signing for English giants West Ham United according to reports, as another potential suitor emerges.
The 22-year old was the subject of multiple rejected bids from Nottingham Forest in January, with the highest reaching £25m. Interest from the Reds has continued into the summer as well as fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace. In recent weeks, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham have joined the list of English clubs after Engels. European giants Roma, Atletico Madrid and Villareal have also been linked.
Recently-relegated West Ham have been a part of the Royal Rumble-like transfer battle for Engels and have now started making inroads. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo is looking for a replacement for Mateus Fernandes, who moved to Spurs earlier in the window for £85m. The Hammers are aiming for promotion straight back to the Premier League after last season’s disappointment.
West Ham ‘close’ to signing Engels
According to Spanish transfer journalist, Matteo Moretto, West Ham are ‘close’ to signing Engels - who still has two years left on his Parkhead contract. The Belgian particularly excelled towards the end of last season, where his goals in the title decider against Hearts and Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic helped the Hoops secure the domestic double.
The rejected £25m bid raised a few eyebrows among supporters, however after Engels’ success in the run-in, it is understood Celtic’s valuation of the player won’t have fluctuated too much. The midfielder was bought for £11m from Bundesliga side Augsburg in 2024, a fee which at the time made him their most expensive ever player. However this record was broken earlier in the week after the £11m addition of striker Kasper Hogh from Bodo Glimt.
Forest fade away in race for Engels
Previous City Ground boss Vitor Pereira was very keen on Engels but now he’s been replaced by Oliver Glasner, interest has dwindled. Earlier in the window, the Reds sold midfielder Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for around £116m, leaving a gaping hole in this area, however their main replacement target is now Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall under the new gaffer.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill is an admirer of Engels’ and started him in nearly every game, when fit, in both his Hoops spells last season. The veteran was particularly pleased with how Engels handled himself during the period in January when the bids were coming thick and fast. Speaking in March, he said: “He never made an issue.
“It was what it was. The last offer we got, I didn't realise until [chief executive] Michael Nicholson told me, was three hours before the deadline. A lot of players would be chomping at the bit saying ‘I want to go’ because he was going to be earning more money. But he’s not complained at all.”