Celtic made a bold move this summer, breaking their transfer record to sign Arne Engels from FC Augsburg. It was somewhat of an unexpected move because the Belgian midfielder is not the type of player who you expect to be the Hoops' biggest-ever signing. He is not a free-scoring striker, winger or someone who brings a lot of goals and assists from the middle of the park like Matt O'Riley.
Engels is a steady presence in midfield. But also the type of player who does not always catch the eye with his performances or output.
He has had good games in a Celtic shirt for sure but has also struggled to make his presence felt in a few other ones. And there are many fans who have not been particularly impressed with what the Belgian has brought to the table since his move from FC Augsburg.
So, why is it not working for Celtic's record signing at the moment? As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Pat Bonner said when talking about the Belgian international on Sportsound on BBC Radio Scotland:
"Now, he has to think a little bit more against the top teams. All of that is probably in his mind. He is a young man. He’s got all the attributes. I think he is going to be a brilliant player for Celtic when he has another year behind him and matures.
“He is now almost kicking himself a little bit. When you are a young player and you have to think a little bit more about your game, suddenly the freedom goes a little bit from what we have seen in the early games. Now he is just questioning certain things. That will come. That will all come and improve, along with his ability."
Real reason Arne Engels is struggling after joining Celtic
Engels certainly needs to be given the time that he needs. One would think that Celtic did not shell out that kind of a transfer fee to sign him if they were not absolutely certain about his quality.
At the same time though, the likes of Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan are both knocking on the first-team door as Engels continues to struggle for consistency. Both have been better this season when it comes to performance levels and output even though they have not gotten the same amount of chances.
Thus, it will be interesting to see how Brendan Rodgers handles the situation. Will he continue to stick with the Belgian in the starting XI or hand more chances to the likes of Bernardo and McCowan?