Belgium midfielder Arne Engels is reportedly undergoing a medical examination for a transfer to West Ham United, a move that Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has officially confirmed. This is a tough pill to swallow for the Scottish champions, who had previously rejected a multi-million pound offer from Nottingham Forest for the 22-year-old in the winter transfer window. Engels has apparently always been keen on a move to English football, making this opportunity hard to pass up.
O’Neill Wanted Engels For the Big One
Manager O’Neill clearly hoped to keep Engels on the squad, at least until after their crucial Champions League play-off against LASK. The first leg of that matchup is set for next Wednesday, making Engels’ departure right now a significant blow. O’Neill pointed out that West Ham specifically wanted Engels available for the opening day of the season. “I would imagine that he’s probably at this minute doing the medical,” O’Neill said, expressing his feelings: “Naturally disappointed, really, that he’s leaving the football club, he’s done very well for us.” He added that it’s difficult to convince a player to stay when such an opportunity arises, especially since Engels never complained when the Nottingham Forest offer fell through in January.
Injury Worries And New Arrivals
O’Neill also showed understanding for Engels’ urgency, especially after the recent leg muscle injury suffered by Canada right-back Alistair Johnston. Johnston’s injury came amid interest from Everton, and he had to leave at half-time during Celtic’s 5-1 win at Kilmarnock last Sunday. He is now expected to be out for a few weeks, which means he’ll be sidelined past the transfer deadline. This situation likely made Engels wary of playing injured and potentially jeopardizing his own transfer. But Celtic isn’t sitting still. They’ve already signed Egypt winger Haissem Hassan and Germany Under-21 midfielder Mika Baur this week. O’Neill is also eyeing Chelsea left-back Landon Emenalo, an 18-year-old who just toured their training center. O’Neill called Emenalo a “really fine young player” and hopes his current injury clears up soon so they can bring him in as a loan backup to Kieran Tierney.
Celtic will now look ahead to that Champions League play-off first leg next Wednesday against LASK, facing it without Engels. The club will be hoping Emenalo’s injury clears up quickly and that their new signings can hit the ground running.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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