West Ham break EFL record to sign Engels for £22m

What the report says

West Ham United have completed a £22m move for Celtic midfielder Arne Engels, a fee BBC Sport says sets a new transfer record for an EFL Championship club. The 22-year-old Belgium international has agreed a five-year contract and becomes West Ham’s fourth signing of the summer as the club prepares for its first season in the Championship since 2012 after relegation in May.

According to the BBC report, the transfer exceeds the previous EFL Championship record of £17.5m, which Ipswich Town paid last year. Engels, who can operate in midfield and also fill in at right-back or right-wing, is not expected to be available for West Ham’s opening league match at Burnley on Sunday. His first possible appearance is the home derby against Charlton Athletic on 22 August.

The move adds another high-profile departure from Celtic, where Engels won consecutive Scottish Premiership titles after joining from Augsburg in August 2024. West Ham director of player recruitment Nils Koppen described him as a long-term target and said the club viewed him as a strong fit for its rebuild. Engels said the project appealed to him and that the main aim is to help the team push for a return to the Premier League.