West Ham are not giving up over their pursuit of Arne Engels, but the midfielder should show a little more ambition.
There is little doubt that Engels will move on to a new club this summer, with the midfielder having put his time at Celtic, and with no disrespect to the club, he is now outgrowing them.
Engels is a real talent, and he deserves to be playing in the very best leagues. The midfielder stuck around despite being the subject of a £25million offer back in January, and he deserves the reward of a big payday and a big challenge.
But West Ham?
West Ham readying fresh Engels bid
According to The Sun, West Ham are now preparing a third bid for Engels after agreeing a deal to sell Freddie Potts to Club Brugge for £10million, further topping up their coffers after making more than £140million on Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville.
Engels is said to be up for the move to the London Stadium, but Martin O'Neill has confirmed the Iron are so far nowhere near Celtic's valuation, which is £25million.
Engels should aim higher
This is not to disrespect West Ham, who are a massive club, and likely one that will secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. They still have a strong squad, they have a big budget and Nuno Espirito Santo knows how to succeed in the Championship, and indeed with a club with a bigger budget.
But Engels is Premier League-ready. The way he controls the game and plays so comfortably in space and in pressure, he is ready to play at a mid-table Premier League club, and he could yet reach bigger heights, depending on how he develops over the coming years.
You can understand the appeal of West Ham. They are likely offering big wages, and they are well placed to be a Premier League club in a year. But Engels doesn't need to take a sidewards step.
He was the subject of a big bid from Nottingham Forest in January, and multiple Premier League clubs have been linked this summer. If he is patient, he will get his Premier League move, and he should wait for it.
It's an ambitious move from West Ham, and Engels will respect that, but he should also respect his own ambition and where his current ability is. He is no longer a Scottish Premiership player, and he is not a Championship player.
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