Fresh interest emerges as Engels exit seems inevitable

Napoli are the latest club linked with an interest in signing Arne Engels.

The midfielder failed to make it into Belgium’s World Cup squad but there seems to be no shortage of clubs interested in taking Engels from Celtic.

In January Celtic turned down a £25m offer from Nottingham Forest for the midfielder but a parting of the ways seems inevitable this summer.

Engels cost Celtic £11m when he was signed from Augsburg at the end of the summer 2024 transfer window.

With two title wins and a Champions League campaign under his belt he looks certain to be sold for at least double his original fee.

That will swell the Celtic balance sheet even further but will leave Martin O’Neill with a big gap to fill in his midfield.

Tuttomercato reports:

Arne Engels has been one of Celtic’s best players this season. He has scored four goals and two assists in the Scottish Premiership, making a total of forty-six appearances—seven goals and eight assists in all competitions.

He can play in multiple positions, whether as a central midfielder or as a left or right winger, making him perfect for those looking for a multi-positional position. And that’s why he’s appealing to  to Napoli, who have several players on their way out—Zambo Anguissa and Matias Olivera above all—but also have the opportunity to rejuvenate their squad with a player who turns 23 next September.

The report adds:

It remains to be seen what Celtic’s valuation will be. It’s possible that, as they did with Matt O’Reilly a couple of summers ago, he could fetch over €25m.

After losing Kyogo Furuhashi, Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn during 2025 Celtic are seriously short of forward options.

With Engels expected to leave and Reo Hatate looking to move on midfield is also looking short on options.

Three weeks on from lifting the Scottish Cup Martin O’Neill is facing a massive rebuild with no real signs of activity so far from Celtic.

ENGELS MAKES AN IMPACT ON THE CELTIC MIDFIELD

Pre-season training for non-internationalists starts on June 26 with a friendly against Shelbourne on July 7.

The SPFL season kicks off on August 1/2 with a Champions League Play off on August 18/19 and 25/26.

Having Engels available and committed would be a major boost for O’Neill but seems unlikely.

Finding his successor, getting him involved in pre-season training and upto speed for the Champions League Play Off matches seems a more likely task that getting the young Belgian to resist offers from England and Italy.

Celtic never paid out any transfer fees during the January transfer window. All of the loaned players have returned to their parent clubs with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain now out of contract.