Celtic Football Club have run the risk of alienating their Belgian midfielder Arne Engels after decisively rejecting a substantial final-hour bid from Nottingham Forest, which totalled an impressive £25 million. The English Premier League side had shown persistent interest in the 22-year-old talent during the closing stages of the transfer window, having seen their initial offers of £14 million and £17 million firmly rebuffed by the Scottish champions.
A Lucrative Offer Snubbed
Forest returned with a third and ultimately final proposal, structured as £20 million paid upfront with an additional £5 million in performance-related add-ons. This presented Celtic with a clear opportunity to more than double their investment on Engels, whom they had signed for £11 million in the summer of 2024. Despite the significant financial incentive, the Parkhead hierarchy remained adamant that the player was categorically not for sale at any price.
Manager's Stance and Player Frustration
Manager Martin O’Neill publicly stressed his desire to retain Engels following Celtic's 2-0 victory over Falkirk on Sunday, underlining the player's importance to his plans. However, reports have emerged suggesting that Engels and his representatives have been left frustrated and disappointed by Celtic's handling of the entire affair. While there is no indication that the midfielder will refuse to play, there is a strong belief within his camp that the £25 million offer represented excellent market value, and he would have been keen to explore talks with the ambitious Premier League outfit.
A Shift in Recruitment Strategy
The situation highlights a potential shift in Celtic's much-discussed recruitment model. The club had reportedly sold themselves to Engels as an ideal platform for development, with the understanding that he could be moved on for a profit when the time was right. However, this strategy appears to have been compromised by the club's failure to secure an adequate replacement in time for the transfer deadline, directly leading to the rejection of Forest's advances.
A Chaotic Window Closes
This episode summed up what has been a notably chaotic and turbulent transfer window for Celtic. As the deadline passed, the club confirmed several incoming deals, headlined by the loan signing of Austrian striker Junior Adamu from SC Freiburg. The 24-year-old forward has joined until the season's end, with Celtic holding an option to make the move permanent in the summer.
Other late moves included attempts to renegotiate a loan for Lorient winger Joel Mvuka, after a £3.5 million deal collapsed due to concerns flagged in his medical examination. The club was also linked with a surprise move for former Arsenal, Liverpool, and England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a 32-year-old free agent whose injury-plagued career led many fans to view the potential signing as underwhelming.
Further business saw Celtic secure a loan deal for 20-year-old Brentford defender Benjamin Arthur, while shipping striker Johnny Kenny out on a season-long loan to Bolton Wanderers. The flurry of activity, juxtaposed with the high-profile rejection of the Engels bid, paints a picture of a club navigating a complex and pressured market, with the decision on their Belgian star carrying significant repercussions for player relations and future strategy.
