Celtic central midfielder Arne Engels is facing an uncertain future with the Scottish Premiership champions heading into the summer transfer window.
It was recently reported that the Belgian star has signed to the DWMA football agency in an attempt to take the next step in his career in the off-season, as he wants to move to one of Europe’s top leagues.
Premier League side Nottingham Forest, who attempted to sign him in the January transfer window, are reportedly keen to go back in with another attempt to snap him up.
Teams in the Serie A, including European giants AC Milan, are also said to be interested in the Belgium international, who could be on his way out of Parkhead.
However, it remains to be seen how much the Scottish giants are set to demand for the midfielder after they paid a club-record fee of £11m to Augsburg to sign him in 2024.
£10m midfielder open to making Celtic transfer this summer
It will be a blow to lose Engels, who scored in the SFA Cup final against Dunfermline in the last game of the season, because he has produced impressive performances for the club.
Now, the Scottish giants are reportedly looking at a player who could arrive at Parkhead as the perfect replacement for the Belgium international ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
According to CeltsAreHere, Celtic are eyeing up a deal to sign Schalke central midfielder Soufiane El-Faouzi in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Moroccan talent is open to making a transfer to Glasgow in the off-season because of the prospect of playing Champions League football at Parkhead.
It adds that Schalke are keen to keep hold of their star midfielder after earning promotion to the Bundesliga this season, and would want a fee of at least £10m to let go of him.
CeltsAreHere reveals that Celtic are yet to make an approach for the 23-year-old midfield maestro, but that he is on their radar ahead of a potential summer move.
Why Soufiane El-Faouzi would be better for Celtic than Arne Engels
The Hoops should push to get a deal done for the Moroccan star in the summer transfer window because he could be the perfect replacement for Engels, as a player who could be even better for the club.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether Martin O’Neill will still be in charge or another manager, such as Robbie Keane, the Hoops can already put transfer plans in place to bolster their squad.
El-Faouzi’s form in the 2. Bundesliga for Schalke suggests that he has the attributes required to replace Engels’s threat on the ball, and can offer even more than the Belgian out of possession. For that reason, he could dazzle in Keane’s system if they both move to Parkhead.
|
25/26 |
Engels (Premiership) |
El-Faouzi (2. BL) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
30 |
34 |
|
Non-penalty goals |
3 |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
6 |
11 |
|
Assists |
3 |
5 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.0 |
2.9 |
|
Interceptions per game |
0.5 |
1.1 |
|
Duels won per game |
2.9 |
6.0 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
38% |
53% |
The £10m-rated talent produced more goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in the 2025/26 campaign, which suggests that he has the potential to be as effective, if not more so, than the Belgian at the top end of the pitch.
Meanwhile, his defensive numbers are considerably better than Engels’ and show that he is more mobile and combative in the middle of the park, which could be particularly useful in Europe.
Celtic’s European games are different to their domestic matches because they come under more pressure and have less of the ball, which means that they have to get more out of their players defensively.
El-Faouzi’s defensive numbers in a Schalke team that won the 2. Bundesliga suggests that he would have a lot to offer defensively in European competitions, making plenty of tackles and interceptions to cut out opposition attacks.
The 23-year-old, who was described as a “standout” by journalist Florian Plettenberg, could play a key role in Celtic going further in Europe, as they have not made it to the quarter-final stage in Europe since 2004.
Signing El-Faouzi, therefore, would soften the blow of losing Engels, should the Belgian move on from Parkhead this summer, because he could be even better than him in midfield with his play in and out of possession.
It is now down to the board to splash the £10m or more that it will take to bring the Schalke star to Glasgow, so that they can cash in on Engels without worrying about the hole that it would leave in the squad.
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