Here we go again. We haven't even finished the season, and already, there is talk of Celtic players leaving this summer. As the players prepare for the weekend's Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, we hear of a Serie A club not only showing interest but also making moves for one of the Hoops' players.
This follows talk of interest from Udinese in Reo Hatate earlier this month. It’s a huge credit to how well the team and players have performed this season, but there is a cup and a treble waiting to be won.
No doubt, Brendan Rodgers will be keeping his squad fully focused on that game against Aberdeen. You'd hope that with it being a cup final, news of interest from another club won’t turn a player's head.
When it comes to Engels, it’s fair to say that he seems to have a sensible and mature way of approaching football. And his recent comments show that.
As reported by 67HailHail, Engels was asked about Atalanta's interest in this week's media briefing.
"It’s the first time that I’ve heard about it.
“There will always be something to write or to talk about and if you have a good season and, hopefully, win a lot of things, then there will always be clubs and always be speculation around a lot of players.
“I think I am not the only one here who will have speculation in the summer. I’m just focused on the next game and it’s a really big one. Then, in the summer, I only want to get better."
Through the season, Engels has had some great moments, some superb play and touches, and has shown his value. He’s had quieter moments and games, too, but has adjusted well to the different pace of matches. When you see his coolness at penalties, you realise the maturity he has as a player despite his youth.
Atalanta will have had a good look at him when the two sides met last October in a 0-0 Champions League draw. Engels played 75 minutes in that game. They’ll also have seen plenty of him since then at Celtic and with Belgium. With two trophies so far, possibly one more to follow, 10 goals scored and 13 assists, it’s been quite a season for the 21-year-old.
Celtic has long experience of fending off interest from clubs in their players. But the transfer model is such that when the time and the fee are right, an exit generally happens.
It doesn't seem likely that we’d see Engels move on so quickly, but if Atalanta offered a hefty fee, who knows? The Belgian has spoken sensibly about the interest without giving anything away about his thoughts on an early move.