Lazio are reportedly interested in Celtic midfielder Arne Engels, just months after the Belgian was subject to a £25 million bid from the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest submitted a deadline-day offer for Engels, but the Hoops stood strong and did not want to sell him mid-season. Martin O'Neill was delighted with this revelation, but it seems that he could be on his way out, along with the gaffer, in the summer.
According to Lorenzo Lepore of Sportitalia, Serie A giants Lazio are considering a move for the player. Their manager, Maurizio Sarri, could still be shown the door, and whether interest will turn into an offer relies on his future.
There are also rumours that despite Forest sacking Sean Dyche and replacing him with Vitor Pereira, they could come back in for his services. They still see him as a viable option, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Engels will reportedly "carefully weigh up any offers that come his way", leaving his future in Glasgow up in the air.
Can Celtic afford to let him leave?
Celtic can't really afford to let Engels leave. Since O'Neill came in, he has won a regular place in the starting lineup, and when he was injured, we really felt the loss.
He brings a lot to this Hoops team despite receiving criticism at times in his Parkhead career, but it would be difficult to replace him.
He is still a young player, and his value could increase even more. Getting £25 million for him would be great, but I can't help but feel there is room for an increase if we manage to keep him for another season or two.
He should be a mainstay in this squad, and the next manager will certainly look to him. He brings a lot of ability to the side and offers similar skills to Callum McGregor, which is always a good thing.
Whether he goes or not, the Hoops will be looking for a new midfielder in the summer. Currently, Hibernian midfielder Miguel Chaiwa is on the club's radar, with the manager confirming that there is interest in the player. He is a cheap rotation option, but if Engels were to leave, Celtic would undoubtedly look for a player who is already established.
Benjamin Nygren is another player who could leave, so we'll need to hope that we can keep our hands on at least one if we don't want to have the task of focusing too heavily on one area at the end of the season.
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