Celtic legend makes bold Arne Engels claim amid calls to be dropped

Celtic broke their transfer record to sign Arne Engels from FC Augsburg in the summer. He was viewed as the replacement for Matt O'Riley, who joined Brighton & Hove Albion. It is safe to say that expectations were sky high and the boots were almost impossible to fill. And in the eyes of many supporters, the Belgian midfielder has disappointed so far.

Do not get us wrong, Engels has contributed. But there have also been games were he has underwhelmed and perhaps not made the impact that was expected of the club's record signing.

That has led to calls for Engels to be dropped. Especially with Paulo Bernardo making positive contributions whenever given a chance.

Engels does seem to have a pretty high-profile backer though. As reported by The Celtic Star, Chris Sutton was asked by a viewer on the 'It's All Kicking Off' podcast about who he thinks is Celtic's best midfield trio and he replied:

"Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels. I think there are Celtic fans because Engels was their record signing, they would probably have expected more from him this season and there are Celtic fans out there saying they should play [Paulo] Bernardo in the middle of the park with Hatate and McGregor, but I think Engels like any new player needs time."

Celtic legend makes bold Arne Engels claim amid calls to be dropped

Engels getting time to settle in and prove himself at Celtic is important. The club have made a significant investment to bring him to Parkhead. Now, they cannot lose trust in his potential merely a few months into his run at Parkhead.

It is important to remember that Engels is still a youngster. He has plenty of time to develop and get better. But for that to happen, he needs to be playing regular football.

Engels has made a few starts for the Belgian national team recently as well, which goes to show how highly he is rated and not just at Celtic. That being said, it is also important to make the most of in-form players and Bernardo seems to be that right now. So, Rodgers needs to weigh his decision carefully.