Celtic are said to be in ongoing talks over the sale of Arne Engels, and talks are reported to be at an 'advanced stage'. The Bhoys were always expected to sell Engels this summer, with the midfielder having earned his big-money exit.
Engels was the subject of bids back in January, but Celtic were not prepared to lose him due to finding themselves fighting from behind in the title race. The decision to turn down offers for the midfielder proved a wise one, with the Bhoys going on to win a league and cup double.
West Ham now closing in on Engels deal
With Engels having stayed put and continued to impress, he will be allowed to leave this summer, as long as Celtic's asking price is met, believed to be £25million.
Recently relegated Championship side West Ham have that kind of money to spend this summer after selling Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville for a combined £145million.
With Nuno Espirito Santo having stuck around despite relegation, West Ham plan on having a real go at winning promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Replacing Fernandes could be key to that, and it seems as though they have identified Engels as the man.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that West Ham are in 'advanced talks' over a deal, and the usually reliable ExWestHamEmployee has reported that West Ham are ‘not thought to be too far away in value’ with their latest offer.
That suggests a deal could be reached in the near future, and one would hope Celtic are standing firm by their £25million value, especially given Premier League and European sides are said to be showing interest in Engels this summer.
Meanwhile, Celtic are well aware that West Ham have the money to spend, so there should be no discount offered. Replacing Engels will likely be a costly venture for the Bhoys, and it's likely they will have to buy more than one midfielder this summer.
Meanwhile, West Ham are also credited with an interest in another Celtic star in Reo Hatate, but it's unclear whether they will remain interested should they land Engels. Hatate is likely to carry an asking price of £6million.
First will come the Engels deal, and it's going to be interesting to see whether any of the other clubs with a reported interest come to the table late in the day amid these reports that West Ham are closing in.
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