Arne Engels undergoes West Ham medical after Celtic accept £22m-plus offer
The Belgian midfielder is completing his medical in London after Celtic accepted West Ham’s £22m offer, with add-ons taking the deal higher..
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels is in London today completing a medical ahead of a proposed move to West Ham United after the English club agreed a deal worth an initial £22 million, plus potential add-ons.
The Belgian midfielder has been a long-standing target for West Ham, who previously saw offers rejected during the summer transfer window. The Hammers eventually returned with an improved proposal, which Celtic have now accepted.
The overall package could rise above £25 million if the performance-related clauses are met. The initial £22 million fee would reportedly make Engels the fourth-highest-value player to leave Celtic.
West Ham finally land target
West Ham’s interest in Engels had been evident for several weeks, but negotiations initially failed to reach an agreement centred around the valuation of the player. The London club’s latest bid, however, proved sufficient to be accepted by Celtic to agree to the transfer in the wake of the Scottish champions signing Mika Baur from Paderborn.
The 22-year-old is expected to sign a long-term contract once the medical is completed. He is unlikely to be registered in time to face Burnley in West Ham’s opening Championship fixture, with a possible debut against Charlton on 22 August.
Celtic set for major profit
Engels joined Celtic from Augsburg in August 2024 in a club-record deal reportedly worth around £11 million. His departure would therefore represent a substantial return on the Scottish champions’ investment, while there are question marks over the timing of the transfer given that Celtic have a hugely important qualifying tie against LASK next week for a place in the league phase of the Champions League.
The 22 year old made his debut in Celtic’s 3-0 win over rivals Rangers back in September 2024, before going on to play a total of 93 games for the club, scoring 17 goals - winning two Scottish Premiership titles, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup.
Meanwhile, it looks like Everton’s pursuit of Celtic right back Alistair Johnston may be at an end after the Canadian international picked up an injury during the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock at the weekend.
The 27-year-old will miss Celtic’s upcoming Champions League qualifiers against LASK and will be sidelined for around 6 weeks.