The season has come and gone. It was a double for Brendan Rodgers' side but heartbreak in the Scottish Cup final. They must look towards the future though and there is some speculation about one player's right now. Celtic broke their transfer record to sign Arne Engels from FC Augsburg last summer.
So far, we have seen glimpses of Engels' quality but he has not really met the expectations set for Celtic's record signing. In his debut campaign, he has scored 10 goals and provided 13 assists.
On paper, these are solid stats for a midfielder. It is worth remembering though that eight of those goals have come from the penalty spot. So, he has to be a lot more effective from open play.
Despite this, it looks like Engels has done enough to catch the eye of Atalanta. In fact, the Italian club seem to be pushing to get a deal done for the Belgian international in this summer transfer window, after failing to sign Matt O'Riley last time around.
Massive update on Arne Engels' Celtic exit talks
As reported by TuttoAtalanta, the club has already initiated significant contacts with the player's entourage and with Celtic. They have taken important steps to test the waters. But in Glasgow they do not seem to be willing to facilitate the exit of Engels. Yet, they would also be ready to discuss a possible transfer only in the face of a suitable offer.
Of course, Celtic are always open to a transfer, if the right offer is on the table. Will that come from Atalanta though?
As we all know, the Italian club made multiple offers to sign O'Riley last summer. But they were not able to agree a fee with Celtic. So, they do not seem like the team that would go out and make a huge offer for Engels.