Celtic are prepared to sell Arne Engels this summer, and West Ham United have now joined Nottingham Forest in the race for his signature.
West Ham are searching for a new midfielder, following Mateus Fernandes’ big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur, and Engels has emerged as a target, after impressing for Celtic over the past two seasons.
Near the end of the Belgian’s debut campaign at Parkhead, teammate Callum McGregor said: “That’s probably been the most impressive part of it is that Arne’s come in with a huge price tag, he’s settled so quickly and he’s managed to produce some unbelievable moments of football and will only get better as well, so to do it in his first season to get the recognition from the other players as well shows you that he’s a real talent and everyone thinks he’s a real talent.
“He just keeps going, keeps working hard, he’s the perfect profile for Celtic, and I’m sure there’s more to come for him as well, but an amazing first season and congratulations to him as well.”
In the 2025-26 campaign, the 22-year-old went on to pick up seven goals and eight assists in all competitions, which suggests he could be a solid replacement for Fernandes, who was involved in eight goals for the Hammers last season.
West Ham enter the race to sign Arne Engels
According to a report from TEAMtalk, West Ham have now stormed into the race to sign Engels, with the Hoops prepared to cash-in for around £25m this summer, but there could be fierce competition for his signature.
Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen, and all five of the aforementioned clubs have Premier League football on offer, which could give them an edge.
In fact, the Tricky Trees have already submitted a formal offer for the former FC Augsburg man, which was knocked back by the Scottish side.
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Why West Ham may struggle to sign Arne Engels |
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Price tag |
In their last set of accounts, West Ham reported a loss of £104.2m, which has made it necessary to cash-in on their key players this summer. However, Jarrod Bowen is set to remain at the London Stadium, so they will be unable to raise any money from signing their talisman. As such, Nuno may not be able to splash the cash this summer, and Engels could be relatively costly at £25m. |
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Lack of Premier League football |
Nuno’s side were relegated from the Premier League last season, which could make it difficult to compete for Engels’ signature. The Celtic star has been flourishing in the Scottish Premiership, while he has also collected four Belgium caps, which suggests he deserves the chance to play in the Premier League, and a number of top flight sides are keen on securing his signature. |
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Rival suitors |
Indeed, the Belgium international has attracted interest from two clubs who will be playing in Europe next season, namely Palace and Sunderland, which means a move to the Championship is unlikely to be of great appeal. |
West Ham may be in a better position to sign new players if they offload Crysencio Summerville, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now dropped a new update on the winger’s future.
