Celtic make club-record transfer offer for midfielder

Celtic need to find a replacement for Matt O'Riley before the summer transfer window slams shut in a few days time. The Danish midfielder was the club's best player last season, and by a country mile. He departed recently to join Brighton & Hove Albion in a Scottish-record move. We can only wish him the best in this new chapter of his career. For the Hoops, it is time to look towards the future.

If things go according to plan, then a few more records could be set to tumble. That is because Celtic seem to have put in a club-record transfer offer for one of their top targets to replace O'Riley.

As reported by Sky Sports, Celtic are accelerating their transfer pursuit of Arne Engels, with their offer now standing at £10 million. FC Augsburg are still holding out for more, but negotiations continue.

That is a show of ambition on the part of Celtic. Especially after they signed Adam Idah in a potential club-record deal already this summer. The initial fee for that transfer was £8.5 million, which could rise to £9.5 million with add-ons. The current record is Odsonne Edouard's £9 million move from PSG in 2018.

Celtic make club-record transfer offer for midfielder

Engels is 20 years of age and currently plays in the German top flight for FC Augsburg. He has already made more than 50 appearances in the Bundesliga and also represented Belgium at multiple youth international levels.

Engels might not be at the level of someone like O'Riley yet, but the magnitude of Celtic's offer suggests that they are completely convinced by the 20-year-old's talent and potential. Let's see if a move materialises or not.

If the move for Engels does not end up happening, it would be interesting to see what route Celtic go. Alvyn Sanches is another midfielder they have been linked with in recent weeks.