GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Celtic's Arne Engels in action during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Ross County at Celtic Park, on November 30, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
There are reports that several clubs are now interested in signing Arne Engels, and this is where Celtic have to be very smart indeed.
Because this is not Nico Raskin fantasy land. This is not one of those wild Ibrox valuations where a decent player wins a couple of tackles, plays a good international cameo and suddenly the Scottish media starts floating numbers that belong in a padded room.
This is different. Arne Engels is a genuinely high-class midfielder. He is 22. He is a full Belgian international. He has already delivered for Celtic. He has played well in Europe. He has goals and assists in his game. He has physicality, technique, intelligence and room to improve.
That is exactly the sort of player clubs in richer leagues should be looking at. And they are. And we know they are. This is not speculation. The interest is real, and it’s from multiple clubs in multiple countries. That suits us.
So, if Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Sunderland, West Ham, Milan or anyone else wants him, fine. Let them want him. Let them all want him. Then Celtic should do what serious clubs do when they have an asset everyone else fancies. Start an auction.
That is the only way this can be allowed to happen. Celtic cannot sell Engels as though they are grateful for the attention. They cannot behave like a club amazed that English sides have noticed one of their best players. I was raging in January at those who were quick to dismiss the interest from Forest; it never at any time sounded implausible.
If Engels goes, Celtic must make sure we get full value.
The starting point should be simple: Matt O’Riley money is not the ceiling. It is the floor. Celtic sold O’Riley for a record fee, and rightly so. But Engels is younger, has a stronger international profile and comes from a market where Premier League clubs routinely spend absurd sums on players with far less evidence behind them.
If there is real interest from multiple clubs, then Celtic cannot just pick up the phone and grab the first offer that comes along; that is dereliction of duty in this case. We need to make each club understand there are others in the room. We need to make sure that if Engels leaves, he leaves for a fee that makes everyone in Scottish football blink and which does not leave us sold short. This is a player who can reach the top. The fee should reflect it.
And it is why the comparison with the nonsense around Raskin is so useful.
For weeks, we have been hearing mad numbers attached to Nico Raskin. The Ibrox hype machine has been in full flight again, pushing the idea that he is suddenly worth a fortune because their club desperately needs a big sale.
But there is a major difference between needing a big fee and commanding one. Celtic do not need to invent a market for Arne Engels. The market appears to be forming by itself.
Engels has the profile. He has the age. He has the output. He has the international status even if he’s not going to the World Cup.
He has the kind of game that travels. If English and European clubs are circling, that is not because Celtic have had to con everyone into believing he is worth money. It is because clubs can see the player has potential through the ceiling.
It also matters where he goes.
Because if West Ham are one of the clubs interested, then Engels should think very carefully before going anywhere near that move. West Ham would be a terrible idea for him right now. It is a terrible idea for anyone, and there is talk they’re also monitoring young Callum Osmand. But that club will be cleaning up the mess inside its walls for a while to come.
This is not the West Ham of recent European nights and Premier League stability. This is a club that has just been relegated. A club facing life in the Championship. A club staring at a rebuild. A club surrounded by uncertainty while the David Sullivan situation swirls around it. Why would Engels choose that? Why would Osmond?
Why would a young Belgian international, or young striker, leave Celtic, Champions League football and a club where they are developing, just to walk into a relegated club with all kinds of instability hanging over it?
Money, obviously. That is always the temptation.
But career decisions should not be made based on the wages on offer alone. Engels is at a delicate stage. He is not a veteran looking for one last payday. He is a young midfielder with a serious future in front of him. The next move matters. It has to be the right club, the right league, the right manager, the right structure.
West Ham do not look like that club.
Maybe they bounce straight back. Maybe they stabilise. Maybe all the ownership noise settles and they become attractive again. But today? This summer? From where we are standing? That move would look like a step into a storm.
Engels can do better than that.
If a Premier League club in good shape wants him, if an Italian club comes with a serious offer, if a German club sees him as a major midfield piece, then that is a different conversation. Nobody sensible pretends Celtic can always hold onto players forever. We know the reality. We understand the food chain.
If Engels is going to leave, then Celtic need to treat him like the elite asset he is. No discounts. No favours. No “good relationship” nonsense. No accepting a bid because the player fancies the move and the buying club has done us the courtesy of remembering Scotland exists.
This is where Celtic’s board has to act like a proper club. Not a soft one.
A proper club buys well, develops well, sells at the right time and controls the terms. A soft club gets nervous when bigger leagues start calling and convinces itself that any large number is too good to refuse. Celtic cannot be soft here.
Because an Engels sale, handled properly, could reshape the summer. It could fund serious recruitment. It could allow Martin O’Neill to rebuild properly. It could give Celtic the muscle to buy quality instead of rummaging around for bargains and projects.
But handled badly, it would be another example of Celtic failing to understand the value of what they have. That is the fear.
Not that Engels might leave. Good players leave clubs. That is football.
The fear is that Celtic might undersell him, then act as though they have performed a miracle. They must not.
This is not Raskin valuation theatre. This is a genuine player with genuine interest and genuine leverage. Celtic should use every bit of it. If Nottingham Forest want him, make them pay. If Fulham want him, make them pay. If Sunderland want him, make them pay. If West Ham want him, tell them to come back with a number that makes a Championship move worth even discussing. Keep Milan interested. Keep the German clubs on the line. Someone will bid big and then we’re off.
And if nobody reaches that level? Keep him.
That is the bit Celtic often seem to forget. Selling is not compulsory. Interest is not a command. A transfer rumour is not an obligation. Celtic still have the player. Celtic still have the contract. Celtic still have Champions League football to offer.
So, the message should be simple. Arne Engels is not available on the cheap. He is not available because English clubs have noticed him. He is not available because Celtic fancy a quick profit. If he goes, it should be because the auction has gone mad and Celtic have extracted every penny possible.
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At the end of they day, any player is worth whatever his suitors are prepared to pay for him. In Engels case, I don’t see what they see in him and I will be very happy if we get a decent fee of any sort for a vastly over rated player. The clubs mentioned are not exactly top class teams but, apart from West Ham, they play in the EPL and and can afford to splash the cash. I sincerely hope he gets his move and Celtic can further boost their bank funds…. for I don’t see them spending it.
Dumb if we let him go. This boy will be a superstar. 22yo for gods sake. One more year here, we build the mids around him and play a double diamond midfield.
Just look at canada in that second half. They get that DD working with 4 sq passing and they will shock. Celtic can do that with engles.
Brendan Rogers told us hed be the first £40 million pound player, let’s prove him right. It should also show the board that instead of trying to turn 1 and 2 million pound players into 20 million pound players constantly and mostly failing, that when we do spend big money on a player we will get a return.
The tight fisted Bastards are not known as tight fisted Bastards for nothing so they might just squeeze every penny out of it…
And for once I might just be on their side !!!
I beg to differ Johnny. Engels has everything that you want from a midfielder, presence, passing capabilities, mobility, energy, dead ball technique and most importantly dig. Additionally he will develop as he matures, shooting will improve, not sure how many times he hit the post or bar during his time at Celtic, at least 15 I’m sure. I’d like Celtic to extend his contract, give him £50k a week and have him for another couple of seasons at least. He is class and worth more than £40Ml when compared to some of the shite clubs with more money than sense pay for one trick ponies that have no heart.
Anthony, I have watched some great Celtic midfielders throughout my long life and he does not come close to any of them, he is very ordinary.
I ain’t gettin’ involved in discussing anything which is ” reported”… In this modern world…if you don’t actually know something …you either make it up…or take it from somewhere …then say “It’s been reported”… What I will say,however, is I totally disagree with your high opinion of him…His dead ball skills are poor…( penalties not included)… and over all he doesn’t justify his reputation…If we make a profit on him…we should be extremely grateful…Just my opinion.
I don’t get excited about what price our players might fetch anymore because we’ve got money but we’re frightened to use it. For every £10m we receive for Engels £1m will be reinvested. If a club matches our valuation and he wants to go then he will but I’d like him to stay another year, O’Niell might change the formation and I want him to have the guys he needs. Are we going 3-5-2 next season?
There is definately potential with Engels but he is a punt for any of the club’s you mention. Remember Kyogo couldn’t cut it in France or the championship.
Of course you never know what another club will offer, it could get silly. I thought the Forest offer was extreme but I guess that should be the starting point. I dont rate Raskin but he was a starter for Belgiums world cup qualifiers while Im not sure if Engels even made the squad for any of them. I would think their value would be similar. If Raskin has a decent world cup his value would certainly be higher than Engels. A big if of course. Lets remember, playing well in Scotland doesn’t get you much recognition.
If Engels was to move, it would be a no brainer for him to go to Milan. They dwarf everyone else on the list so far.
Out of the English clubs you mention in this article, I would choose West Ham if I was him. The championship is way better quality than the Scottish premier. West Ham get bigger crowds than we do and it would be a good introduction to a higher level and West Ham would be favourites to go up.
Remember McGinn went from Scotland to the championship. He has now captained his team to europa league victory. UCL quarter finals also with a chance to take it further. Nobody predicted this when he went to Villa.
Engels will not get a gig at any premier league club that’s got a shout for the league for sure, so would at best be playing for a relegation candidate.
Be interesting to see where he goes and what we get for him because I guess he thinks he’s done it all in Scotland.
Listening to more intelligent people than me who know more about football than me they rate him very highly. I would think you’re looking at mid to high 20’s for him. He looks suited more to European football to me, Italy or even Germany. I’d love him to stay, he looks like a ECL player.
Given Celtics MO is to invest a max 20% of incoming £28m would give MON £5.6m to spend! 🙂
( surely we’re reaching the point even despite the World Cup that “there’s a helluva lot of work getting done behind the scenes.” with Sales of players and no incomings and all ready for last minute 11th hour deals? 🙂
Engels is not a footballer in any shape or form. Just getting him of the wage bill would be a win.
Whit he said.
You’ve obviously been watching the wrong sport and don’t know what a footballer is………………………
I didn’t rate Engels very highly, but we definitely missed him when he was injured, obviously the professional coaching fraternity see a lot more in him than us emotional fans.
30-40 million is a moderate fee in the English Premier league and we shouldn’t take any less.
Hopefully if he goes, MON gets a good percentage of the fee to spend. C’mon the Celtic board surprise us. You don’t even have tae sign a cheque, bank transfer at a touch of a button is all it takes these days. Go on you’ll feel better for it.
Prior to being injured, I felt that Engels often disappeared during games. This was not the case when he returned. If he is to go, the only stipulation is that it happens after the qualifier. This should be the same for anyone leaving for a fee. There is little time to integrate new players before mid August and the squad that left Hampden might just have enough.
Individuals commenting on a player is a very personal and emotional opinion, not based on anything apart from what they have seen on the field of play. Although I have my own opinion on players I would always take the opinion of professionals before my own, as they have better know than me.
However, I do believe that Arne Engels is a far more skilful and intelligent player than he has been given credit for from some commentators on this blog, although I have to stress that this is my personal opinion. I also believe that he is more suited to European football than the rough and tumble of the Scottish or English scene, he is a more refined than that. I also believe that he is worth even more than the quoted £25 million from Notts Forest.
As a Celtic fan since the 1960’s I have seen many great players and Engels is one of the best in my opinion. I agree with James’ post, particularly in respect to West Ham, who were my second team in my early days of living in London in the early 70’s. There is too much going on there at the moment around relegation and especially the Sullivan issue, which is a distraction that could drag on for some time.
I don’t think that Arne will stay at Celtic much as I would like him to, so I wish him every success whatever he decides to do.