The Premier League’s transfer deadline day turned out to be something of a damp squib with only seven deals completed.
That wasn’t for the want of Nottingham Forest’s trying, though. In total the Reds put in three bids for Celtic’s Arne Engels, with a couple of them with hours rather than days or weeks left in the window.
In the end the Scottish Premiership outfit stood firm and rebuffed all of Forest’s offers, leaving them one down in central midfield with Douglas Luiz having left to join Aston Villa.
However, it could be that Forest return for the 22-year-old in the summer transfer window when they will have longer to put together a satisfactory offer and the Bhoys will have longer to source a successor.
We spoke to Ryan McDonald who covers Celtic for the Daily Record for his insight into ‘what next for Engels’.
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What are Engels' strengths and weaknesses?
RM: Brendan Rodgers once dubbed his delivery from set-pieces as 'world-class'. To his credit, Engels can whip in a dangerous inswinging corner and is also the designated penalty kick taker. So from deadball scenarios, he's a bit of a specialist. At 6ft, he also has a decent physical presence and is one of the tallest players in Celtic's relatively diminutive XI. He's usually assured on the ball and capable of breaking the lines with a threaded pass.
But he does lack pace and power at times. When the going gets tough, particularly domestically, Engels can be found wanting. He had a decent debut season with 23 goal contributions last year, but his numbers are down this term with five goals and seven assists. The 22-year-old has been working closely with Hoops coach Gavin Strachan to make lung-bursting runs into the box as he looks to add more goals from open play.
Were you surprised Celtic knocked back Forest’s bids?
RM: There are two ways to look at it. If Celtic had a functional model and structure, Engels would've been sold. At £25m, that's a record-equalling sum, only eclipsed by Matt O'Riley's sale to Brighton last term. A well-run club would and should've had a succession plan in place. However, they clearly weren't confident in their ability to sign a replacement.
The flip side of that is the board have been bashed for asset-stripping and leaving the team short. Now, they've put the football department ahead of the finance department, so they deserve credit for that. They could've sold Engels without drafting in a replacement - just like they did with Adam Idah and Kyogo. Had they done that, they'd have been as well waving the white flag in the title race.
My view is that had Nottingham Forest come calling earlier in the window, Celtic would've cashed in. But leaving a club who have just binned their recruitment chief with 48 hours to unearth a new signing was too short notice. Martin O'Neill also made it clear on Sunday that Engels was not for sale - so the board have stuck by him.
Is he worth the £25m they were offering?
RM: To be frank, Engels hasn't exactly lit up Scottish football since Celtic shattered their transfer record to land him from Augsburg in summer 2024.
The £11m man continues to divide opinion among the green-and-white legions and, in all honesty, doesn't look entirely suited to the blood-and-thunder of Scottish football.
With that said, there's no doubt in my mind that Engels has the potential to play in one of Europe's top five leagues. He clearly possesses talent, but £25m feels like the ceiling and I remain hugely unconvinced that monster bids of that ilk will arrive in the summer.
What do you think will happen in the summer?
RM: As a young Belgian international, Engels will likely see Celtic as a stepping stone to a bigger league. Two years tends to be the natural endpoint for prized assets like him, and having been denied the chance to at least treble his wages at Forest, I think it's inevitable he'll move on
Celtic are facing the prospect of a monumental overhaul on and off the park too come the end of the season, and Engels' sale could bankroll the rebuild. The club won't stand in his way should Sean Dyche come calling again.
Should Forest go back in for Engels? Have your say