Celtic were reluctant to sell Arne Engels before West Ham made an offer they could not ignore
Celtic were reportedly determined to keep Arne Engels during the summer transfer window, but West Ham eventually made an offer that proved impossible for the Scottish champions to turn down.
The Belgian midfielder completed his move from Glasgow to East London in August, with West Ham paying a Championship-record £22 million to secure his services.
Hammers recruitment director Nils Koppen played a key role in pushing the deal through and revealed that signing Engels became a major priority after West Ham sold midfielder Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking about the transfer, Koppen explained that Celtic had no real desire to part company with Engels, meaning West Ham had to work hard to find a package that would convince the Scottish club to change its position.
“Midfield was the area where we knew we had to invest the most because of what we lost with Mateus Fernandes leaving,” Koppen said on the Iron Cast podcast.
He explained that clubs are often unwilling to sell their best players, even when another team expresses strong interest.
“That was the situation with Celtic and Arne Engels. As a club and as a board, we had to keep working with Celtic to find a way to make the transfer happen,” Koppen added.
“Those clubs don’t want to sell their best players. But every player has a price, and it was our responsibility to find the right deal to bring him here.”
West Ham eventually got their man, and Engels has quickly settled into life in East London. His energy, defensive work and ability from set pieces have already attracted plenty of praise, qualities that were also evident during his time at Celtic Park.
The move has also highlighted what Celtic have lost in midfield.
Celtic feeling the absence of Engels
Engels played an important role in Celtic’s success last season despite struggling with injuries at times. Whenever he was available, the midfielder was an important part of the team and helped provide additional energy alongside captain Callum McGregor.
The 23-year-old returned towards the end of the campaign after recovering from a thigh problem and made a decisive contribution during Celtic’s push for silverware.
He scored in the crucial league meeting with Hearts and also found the net during Celtic’s Scottish Cup run as the club completed a domestic double.
Celtic had previously rejected interest from Nottingham Forest in January and continued to resist West Ham’s attempts to sign him for much of the summer.
However, as West Ham continued to increase their offer, Celtic eventually reached the point where they were prepared to sanction his departure.
German midfielder Mika Baur has since been asked to help fill the void left by Engels. While Baur may offer greater technical ability in certain areas, Celtic have noticeably lost some of the intensity and running power Engels brought to their midfield.
That difference was particularly evident during the club’s Champions League setback against LASK Linz, when Celtic surrendered a four-goal aggregate advantage.
Meanwhile, Engels has made an encouraging start to his West Ham career, helping Nuno Espirito Santo’s side establish themselves near the top of the Championship as they look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
“they didn’t want to sell” – west ham chief reveals how arne engels was finally taken from celtic
