Celtic already planning for life after Engels as two exciting targets emerge

Celtic appear determined not to be caught cold if Arne Engels completes his expected move to West Ham United.

Sky Sports News are among those reporting developments around Celtic’s midfield situation, with Hajduk Split’s Niko Sigur and Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis emerging as potential options.

That is encouraging news.

If Celtic are going to sanction a major-money departure for Engels, replacing him quickly has to be part of the plan.

Celtic targets emerge as Engels exit moves closer

Engels has attracted serious interest from West Ham throughout the summer.

Sky Sports previously reported that Celtic were holding out for £25million after West Ham opened talks over the Belgian midfielder. Martin O’Neill confirmed an earlier offer did not “remotely meet our valuation”.

The situation has now moved considerably further.

Sky Sports’ football page is reporting that West Ham have agreed a Championship-record fee for a midfielder, while the Daily Record reports an Engels deal worth around £22million has been agreed.

Therefore, Celtic having irons in the fire makes perfect sense.

Sigur is particularly interesting. The 22-year-old Canada international plays for Hajduk Split and offers versatility across midfield and defence.

Reports earlier this summer suggested he could potentially be available for around £2.5million, although his value may now be higher because of growing interest.

Gineitis represents another intriguing possibility.

The Lithuania international is already playing in Serie A with Torino and would represent another young player with significant development potential.

Celtic business could make plenty of sense

Nobody wants to lose a talented player such as Engels.

However, football is also about knowing when the numbers make sense.

Celtic paid Augsburg around £11million for Engels in 2024. Sky Sports confirmed that figure when Nottingham Forest had a £25million offer rejected in February.

If Celtic can now secure another huge fee, reinvest part of it intelligently and bring in a quality replacement, it could prove excellent business.

Most importantly, the club cannot sell first and start searching afterwards.

The encouraging part of these latest reports is that Celtic appear to be preparing in advance.

Sigur and Gineitis give the club two interesting possibilities. Hopefully, once the Engels situation is resolved, Celtic can move quickly and get the next piece of Martin O’Neill’s squad in place.