Celtic could see a £9m bid accepted to sign a better player than Engels

Arne Engels ended the 2025/26 campaign in impressive form for Celtic with two big goals to secure the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup.

He scored the equalising penalty against Hearts on the final day of the Premiership season, before thumping in the second goal in the 3-1 win over Dunfermline at Hampden Park last weekend.

Those goals meant that the Belgian midfielder racked up seven goals and eight assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops this term.

Since joining for a club-record fee of £11m from Augsburg in the summer of 2024, Engels has scored 17 goals in 98 matches for Celtic in all competitions, but 12 of those goals came from the penalty spot.

The Belgium international’s form has also seen him linked with a move away from Parkhead, as Nottingham Forest are reportedly ready to renew their interest in him.

Celtic eyeing up move for £9m central midfielder

Forest’s interest in the £11m-rated talent, who may have made scoring in a cup final his last moment at the club, suggests that the Hoops may need to be in the market for midfield additions this summer.

The Premiership champions are already reportedly looking at a new signing who could arrive at Parkhead as an even better option than Engels in the middle of the park.

According to Football Insider, Celtic are ramping up their interest in a deal for Hacken central midfielder Silas Andersen ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that they will have to spend big money to get a deal over the line for the Danish ace, though, because Rangers and Sporting are also in the race for his signature.

Celtic will need to make their move in the coming days because Record Portugal reports that Sporting have already had an offer worth up to €10m (£9m) accepted by Hacken.

Football Insider also adds that Rangers are advancing in talks with the Swedish club, which suggests that the Hoops are lagging behind in the race and need to stump up a £9m bid that will be accepted this summer.

How Silas Andersen would be an Arne Engels upgrade

The Scottish giants could forget all about Engels and sanction a move to Forest for the midfielder without any concerns about their squad if they can beat Sporting and Rangers to the signing of Andersen.

His performances in the Allsvenskan during the 2025 campaign suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on the Belgian in the middle of the park for whoever replaces Martin O’Neill in the dugout.

Taking penalties out of the equation, Andersen offers a similar level of quality at league level at the top end of the pitch in comparison to Engels, after recording two goals and two assists last season.

It is out of possession where the Dane really shines, though, as he averaged a staggering 4.9 tackles and interceptions per game in the Allsvenskan in 2025, significantly more than Engels’ 1.5 per match in the Premiership.

Andersen seems far more likely to disrupt opposition attacks than the Belgian, given his superior defensive numbers and more impressive success rate in duels, which could improve Celtic’s effectiveness off the ball.

The Hoops conceded 41 goals in the Premiership this season, 15 more than the previous campaign, and let in 14 goals in eight games in the league phase of the Champions League.

This suggests that the Scottish side need a player like Andersen to anchor their midfield as a destroyer who is exceptional at winning tackles, interceptions, and duels, which is not Engels’ strong suit.

The 21-year-old talent looks like he would be a big upgrade on the Forest target in midfield because he can offer a similar level of quality on the ball from open play, whilst being significantly more effective defensively.

Andersen has also caught the eye in the first seven games of the Allsvenskan campaign with 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game and a whopping 56 duels won, using his physicality and mobility to constantly make challenges across the pitch.

It will not be an easy deal for the club to get done, though, because Sporting’s £9m agreement is already in place and the Hoops must match it in the coming days to ensure that they do not miss out on the Danish star this summer.