Sky Sports man confirms £6.5 million transfer bid from Celtic

Brendan Rodgers was quick to make the point again after Sunday’s win at St Mirren. The squad needs more quality players, and he wants them in before the transfer window closes. The manager's comments will have put some more pressure on the Celtic board to get deals done, with deadline day not far away now.

There are signs that the club are closing in on some new players though. Alex Valle from Barcelona could be the next signing with a loan deal for the season believed to be imminent. FC Augsburg midfielder Arne Engles looks to be another player in the Hoops' sights. 

As tweeted by Anthony Joseph, Celtic have made a £6.5 million bid for Engels. The player is keen to join the Scottish champions. He is one of the club's top targets to replace Matt O’Riley

A fee at that level would barely be a fraction of the £30 million transfer package that Celtic are set to receive from O'Riley's move to Brighton & Hove Albion. But there lies a problem.

Sky Sports man confirms £6.5 million transfer bid from Celtic

Augsburg are rumoured to be looking for a bigger fee, north of £8.5 million. Now, the Hoops are always sharp negotiators. But with time ticking away in the transfer window any negotiating over a deal will need to be quick, focused, and realistic. This isn’t the occasion for a long-running saga like that of Adam Idah.

With O’Riley off to the Premier League, Engels looks a good fit for the squad. He is still only 20 years of age and has plenty of potential to develop further, but with over 50 Bundesliga appearances under his belt already, he is far more experienced than the Danish midfielder was when he arrived. 

The understanding is that Engels is keen to join Celtic. He may not be a direct replacement for O’Riley but would be a great signing if a transfer fee could be agreed upon.

It has been indicated that it might take a couple of new players coming in to replace O’Riley. Mateusz Bogusz of Los Angeles FC is also on their radar.