Aodhán Ó Conchobhair If West Ham really are prepared to take their offer for Arne Engels towards £30 million, Celtic should not hesitate.
They should bite their hand off.
And run.
There is a danger that one outstanding performance has completely changed the conversation around Engels.
His display against Kilmarnock was excellent. There is no denying that. He looked confident, aggressive and involved, contributing to a 5-1 victory in which Celtic were outstanding.
But let’s not rewrite history.
One good performance against a Kilmarnock side that offered very little resistance doesn’t suddenly turn Engels into the midfielder Celtic supporters have been waiting for.
Let’s Be Honest About Engels
Engels has never been a terrible footballer.
He’s young.
He’s athletic.
He’s versatile.
He has shown flashes of genuine quality.
But over his time at Celtic, he’s been inconsistent.
Far too inconsistent.
There have been games where he’s looked like a £20 million player.
There have also been far too many where you could barely remember he’d been on the pitch.
That’s the problem.
A player costing Celtic around £11 million should be making a consistent impact.
Instead, Engels has spent large portions of his Celtic career looking like a player who has the tools but hasn’t quite figured out how to put them together consistently.
His statistics are respectable, but they don’t tell the whole story. He has scored 13 goals in 62 league appearances for Celtic, alongside six assists.
Those numbers aren’t bad.
But they’re hardly irreplaceable.
And Now West Ham Are Offering £30 Million?
That’s where this becomes a very simple decision.
Celtic have already rejected bids from West Ham, with reports suggesting the latest proposal could reach £25 million guaranteed with promotion-related bonuses, while other reports have claimed a package could rise towards £30 million.
If Celtic can genuinely get £30 million for Arne Engels, they should take it.
Immediately.
No sentimental nonsense.
No convincing ourselves that one good performance means he’s suddenly indispensable.
Take the money and reinvest it.
That’s how Celtic should operate.
Buy a talented player.
Develop him.
Improve his value.
Sell him for significantly more.
Then use that money to bring in two or three players who can make the team stronger.
Don’t Be Fooled by One Match
Nobody should suddenly pretend Engels is rubbish.
He isn’t.
But neither should one excellent performance against Kilmarnock erase two seasons of inconsistency.
If anything, that performance should make the situation easier.
Celtic have just watched Engels produce the kind of display that reminds everyone why clubs are interested in him.
Great.
Let West Ham watch it again.
Then send them the invoice.
Because if they’re genuinely willing to put £30 million on the table for a midfielder who has struggled to consistently dominate matches in Scotland, Celtic would be absolutely mad not to consider it.
Bite Their Hand Off
Celtic need quality.
They need midfielders.
They need depth.
They need players capable of competing in Europe.
But they also need to understand the value of their assets.
£30 million for Arne Engels would be an enormous fee for us.
It could fund an entire midfield rebuild.
It could turn one inconsistent player into two or three genuine first-team options.
And if Martin O’Neill’s recruitment team get it right, Celtic could actually come out of the deal stronger.
So enjoy the Kilmarnock performance.
Give Engels the credit he deserves.
But don’t let one good night fool you.
If West Ham really comes back with £30 million?
Bite their hand off.
And run.
Key Takeaways
- Celtic should accept West Ham’s £30 million offer for Arne Engels without hesitation.
- Engels has shown flashes of quality, but his inconsistent performances raise concerns about his value.
- Celtic has a history of smart transactions: sell players for profit and reinvest in the squad.
- The recent performance against Kilmarnock shouldn’t change the perception of Engels’ overall contribution.
- Celtic needs to focus on strengthening the team with more dependable players.
I have never been a big Arne Engels fan but I appriciate he’s a decent player. However he’s not worth anything like 30 million pounds and if West Ham are offering silly money like that “take it”. Just look at the additions Celtic have made already and it hasn’t cost anything like that. The money for him could give Martin O’Neil the money he needs for players that will shape this team foe Europe
Steady on, no need to bite their hand off, the 30 mil will do.
In all fairness, without disagreeing how you’ve described Engles performances, what you’ve described is how most young players perform.
Indeed, I can remember a young midfielder we had previously who broke into the side, showed flashes of brilliance, but was found absent in a few ties and subsequently dropped. Such is the way of young players that consistency is sometimes a natural factor of their development.
That former player I’m describing was called Paul McStay.
Now I’m not comparing the two, but Engels is still young, and of course he’s had off days, but he still looks a real.prospect and he made a real difference in the title run in.
£30m would be a great price for selling, of course it would, but let’s not use it as a reason to pick fault with a guy who is still growing and developing. I hope he does well down South and continues a trajectory that takes him into the Belgium squad.
Amd I hope Baur gives us at keast the same calibre of performances that Arne did on his good days (of which there were many).
I don’t think paul mcstay was dropped as you put it we had burns,mccleod, and aitken in midfield at the time he played against st mirren on the day the league was won at parkhead .
Looks like it’s £22m rising to £25 which is fair enough in my opinion, he’s drifted out of games consistently and been a man short on occasions, he was great against Killie could argue it was his best performance in a Celtic jersey , take the money but get it reinvested immediately, we’re doubling our money which is quite amazing , all the best Arne
Here’s an idea; maybe don’t publish articles saying he’s not worth £30m until AFTER the club has gotten that £30m? I’m sure WH and other prospective buying clubs will be looking at our blogs and socials to gauge fan opinion of the lad and articles like this are not going to encourage them to spend a huge wad.
Exactly!
Any “fan opinion”, as opposed to professionals willing to sanction £25m or £30m investments (NF/WHU), will not affect potential suitors. (Even the £11m invested by Celtic has proved to be entirely justified.) Such reported willingness to make these financial commitments reflects the recognition of a top player, capable of seriously enhancing a club’s prospects. During a season widely acknowledged as one of Celtic’s poorest (until MON worked his magic) and which saw us lift an improbable Double, Engels, on return from injury, made a significant contribution to our eventual silverware success. His recent display against Kilmarnock merely showcased his undoubted attributes, but It’s surely no coincidence that he and the others were operating in a team seriously bolstered by new, talented recruits. It’s all about opinions, of course, but Engels is a top operator and, still a young guy, is destined to have a stellar career trajectory. On the basis of that view, while wishing him all the best for his future career, it will be disappointing if he goes before face LASK. While enjoying the ‘Euro’ demise of the Govanites, we still have to maintain focus on actually qualifying for the CL. Nothing is guaranteed, although the availability of Engels for those matches would surely have enhanced our prospects of advancing. Hopefully, though, with or without him, we will make it, and the importance of that priority cannot be overlooked.
Any “fan opinion”, as opposed to professionals willing to sanction £25m or £30m investments (NF/WHU), will not affect potential suitors. (Even the £11m invested by Celtic has proved to be entirely justified.) Such reported willingness to make these financial commitments reflects the recognition of a top player, capable of seriously enhancing a club’s prospects. During a season widely acknowledged as one of Celtic’s poorest (until MON worked his magic) and which saw us lift an improbable Double, Engels, on return from injury, made a significant contribution to our eventual silverware success. His recent display against Kilmarnock merely showcased his undoubted attributes, but It’s surely no coincidence that he and the others were operating in a team seriously bolstered by new, talented recruits. It’s all about opinions, of course, but Engels is a top operator and, still a young guy, is destined to have a stellar career trajectory. On the basis of that view, while wishing him all the best for his future career, it will be disappointing if he goes before face LASK. While enjoying the ‘Euro’ demise of the Govanites, we still have to maintain focus on actually qualifying for the CL (after DUtd). Nothing is guaranteed, although the availability of Engels for those matches would surely have enhanced our prospects of advancing. Hopefully, though, with or without him, we will make it, and the importance of that priority cannot be overlooked.
His Kilmarnock display has fooled a lot of people. Kilmarnock allowed him to play like that. He couldn’t repeat that performance for two games straight if you doubled his wage. That’s Engels’ problem. We gave him consistent starts, European football, and he’s barely kicked on. Overrated. Getting £11m back for him would have been good enough for me. Over £20m? Splendid! Now buy a quality midfielder with an evidenced output, some consistency, and can crack a smile and look like he actually enjoys playing the game!
Paul says:
“ ….. his Kilmarnock display fooled a lot of people”.
One wonders (not for long, albeit) if therefore Paul imagines that “a lot of people” were also fooled by our 5-1 victory, because we were “allowed to play” by Kilmarnock?
Rhetorical, BTW.
Hi TC… Kilmarnock made it easier for us, I don’t think that’s in doubt. But you still have to score the goals and win the game, so I was delighted. Within Kilmarnock’s questionable tactics and gameplan, Engels was allowed to operate. The reaction to Engels’ display has been over the top. If he’d played like that in any European game, I would have been delighted to give him the plaudits. A decent game in a rout against Slovan Bratislava was a glimpse of hope, but was more or less hooked off every other CL game when we needed some creativity. Overrated at £11m in my ever so humble opinion. But nice of you to fire back with less than veiled criticism, and to mysteriously imply that I would be disappointed in any 5-1 victory. A little judgmental and presumptuous for what is a fan blog, and I wonder (not for long albeit) why you would take the time to even respond in such a manner? I don’t need an answer TC, but I do hope you find something more positive to engage in.
Something “more positive to engage in” …?
Clearly, Paul doesn’t do irony.
Over and out.
I didn’t need a reply TC, but knew you’d give me one. Your positive energy just bleeds through the text. Yeah, over and out indeed.