West Ham open talks with Celtic over £25m Engels deal
Relegated West Ham are negotiating for Celtic midfielder Arne Engels, a pursuit that lays bare the financial squeeze facing Scottish football even against England's second tier.
West Ham United have entered negotiations with Celtic for Belgium international midfielder Arne Engels, with the Glasgow club demanding a package worth around £25 million for the 22-year-old. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill confirmed on Friday that a formal offer had arrived but said it did not "remotely meet their valuation."
The pursuit is notable less for the player involved than for the league standing of the suitor. West Ham are a Championship club following their relegation from the Premier League, yet they are in a position to negotiate for a player Celtic consider worth eight figures.
That dynamic was acknowledged publicly by Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson, who told the club's annual general meeting that transfer activity had become difficult because Celtic are "competing with clubs in the Championship for targets." The remark underscores how English football's broadcast and parachute-payment revenues continue to distort the market well below the top flight.
A contested midfielder
Engels is not short of admirers. Nottingham Forest tabled multiple offers for him on the final day of the winter transfer window, all of which were rejected. Other Premier League clubs have also shown interest, though it remains unclear whether any will re-enter the race now that West Ham have moved first.
Forest, meanwhile, have pivoted toward Tottenham's 20-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall but have so far failed to reach an agreement with the London club.
Contract leverage and Celtic's rebuild
Engls has two years remaining on his Parkhead contract, a position that gives Celtic some negotiating leverage but also creates a ticking clock. Should no deal materialise this summer, his value will erode as he approaches the final 12 months.
O'Neill, speaking ahead of Celtic's league opener against Dundee on Monday, was candid about the state of his squad, saying it was not strong enough to compete and required significant reinforcement. Celtic have begun addressing that gap by signing striker Kasper Hogh from Bodo/Glimt for a club-record fee, but the Engels saga suggests further business is far from settled.
For West Ham, securing a player of Engels' profile would signal ambition to return to the Premier League at the first attempt. For Celtic, the episode is a reminder that retaining talent increasingly depends on matching offers from clubs in a league technically one rung below the English top division.
Whether the £25 million figure holds or the negotiations collapse will likely be decided in the coming weeks, with the summer window still open and rival interest unlikely to disappear entirely.
