Arne Engels was the subject of a Deadline Day £25 million bid from Nottingham Forest last January and it has now been claimed by Belgian sources that the Celtic midfielder is eager to move on this summer…
The 22-year-old had been out with an injury issue this year which curtailed his progress in the winter time.
However, after overcoming his thigh concerns and returning to the fold under Martin O’Neill, the Belgian international managed to help the Hoops and his gaffer to a Scottish Premiership title and Scottish Cup.
Engels finished the season strongly
To top it all off, the returning Engels scored in the 3-1 win over ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon and his Dunfermline side at Hampden Park, helping seal another Double.
Engels joined the club in a record-breaking £11.5 million deal in the summer transfer window of 2024, with many scoffing at the initial outlay then Bhoys boss, Brendan Rodgers, shelled out to bring him from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg.
£11.5m fee Brendan Rodgers paid for Engels was money well spent
In the cold light of day, that money seems to have been a snip, considering Arne’s age and potential resale value, throwing folly in the face of those who questioned why we had dished out that sort of fee for a relatively unknown quantity.
Now with Engels back fit and firing again, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that the midfield star is looking to move on from Celtic during this upcoming window, with keen interest in his services from the English Premier League and further afield in Serie A.
With Nottingham Forest having seen a £25 million bid knocked back during the winter window, bidders should know that that’s where the price starts now.
🇧🇪 Arne Engels on the move!
🔄 The Belgian Red Devil recently joined DWMA football agency and wants to take the next step in his career after Celtic FC.
👀 Several Premier League & Serie A clubs, including AC Milan, are monitoring the situation.
⏳ More to follow. pic.twitter.com/5QfrJjm6oY
— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) June 1, 2026
Another report by Football Italia has reinforced these reports too, claiming that Milan and Roma, who Celtic played in the Europa League this season, are both interested in securing him.
Gian Piero Gasperini is a long-standing admirer of Arne Engels
Gian Piero Gasperini, current Roma manager, is a great admirer of Arne Engels and the outlet claims that he has never hidden his desire to bring the Hoops player to the Romans.
Change is afoot at Celtic Park this summer and with Celtic likely to receive a record fee for Arne Engels, that is money that will have to be re-invested in the squad by the next Celtic manager who should be confirmed sometime this week.
Paul Gillespie
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1 Comment
Never expected more than 2 years from Engels, when he first signed for ourselves, and here we are now?
Again a product for our player trading model, for which our transfer business is built upon mainly?
Of course, he will be able to walk away with 4 winner medals, which could have been 6, but for 2 defeats in 2 finals.
So no doubt Engels, can be regarded as a successful signing.
The tag of being our record breaking signing is currently in operation, this without really being a standout player, within our success gained all the same imo?
But while still learning his trade, he would have been a great core player within our squad, but we only tend to be able to keep hold of the likes of players like Engels, for that 2 year period?
Nygren is potentially also on the production line of our player trading model also at present imo?
But making a comparison with Engels, he was far more productive than Engels last season, at a fraction of the cost? But still would regard Engels as a far better all round player imo?
Personally couldn’t care less about how much money is spent upon a player, nor the value they generate within our player trading model? It’s what they provide to our team, that really counts imo?
There is a fascination within our club, about judgement on players with the money spent upon them?
Our business model for the footballing department is built upon our player trading model, and don’t see that changing anytime soon either imo?
Yet it remains a drawback, in gaining stability, within a core group of squad players, which is a requirement for European football, especially at CL levels?
Not a simple solution to find, especially as our player trading model, has usually a 2 year turnaround in individual players, which could be cut to 1 with the success Nygren had last season?
The profits gained within the player trading model, is more than covering the losses within it, so the board will continue to claim success within our business model as a club?
Yet we are going to struggle to function properly, without the stability that’s required within our squad building process, as a result imo?
A hit and miss approach within the transfer market, on a yearly basis, is going to lack the strong core element, that we require within trying to be more successful upon the European stage imo?
No doubt our player trading model, will generate funds for this rebuild, that we are expecting?
But we do require a few more players, that are looking to be with ourselves, longer than this 2 year cycle, within our player trading model also imo?
That is what we are currently looking at, any any potential manager is going to be looking for solutions to?
When we are looking at a prospect of losing Engels, Maeda, Hatate, Paulo, Nygren
that’s a fair chunk of stability taken away within our stability within our squad building process for next season, especially with CL in mind?
There still remains enough potentially within our player trading model, still within our club, and that’s before any new additions added?
Personally believe, that to much focus is placed upon our business model within our club, and not enough upon the value players bring to ourselves upon the pitch imo?
The business model within our club last season, will be regarded as a success, backed up, by the eventual success gained on the pitch?
Yet we remain nowhere near a potential decent CL team in the making at present imo?
Will a suitable balance be found, within our player trading model, and the value generated in a footballing sense, within our club, looks like being some distance away at present imo?
Especially if our player trading model is going to continue to take preference imo?