Celtic's Engels poised for West Ham transfer

What the report says

Belgium midfielder Arne Engels is undergoing a medical ahead of a move from Celtic to West Ham United, according to Celtic manager Martin O’Neill. The BBC Sport report says West Ham want the 22-year-old available for the start of the season, and O’Neill described the transfer as disappointing for Celtic because Engels has been a strong performer for the club.

Celtic had previously turned down a significant offer from Nottingham Forest during the winter window, and the article says Engels was interested in a move to English football. O’Neill suggested the midfielder may have been concerned about the risks of playing while transfer interest was active, especially after teammate Alistair Johnston suffered an injury when he had been attracting outside attention.

The timing matters for Celtic because O’Neill had hoped to keep Engels until after the first leg of their Champions League play-off against LASK. He indicated, however, that a late transfer was likely unavoidable. The club has already added Egypt winger Haissem Hassan and Germany Under-21 midfielder Mika Baur this week and expects more signings as it continues reshaping the squad. In general, the report reflects the tension between Celtic’s European preparations and the Premier League market’s pull on one of their younger midfielders.