The Celtic star watched a bid from Nottingham Forest go sailing out the door in the winter transfer window.
One pundit has aired his shock over Nottingham Forest’s bid for a Celtic star being rejected.
Hoops boss Martin O’Neill has been hit with a blow in the Premiership title race with news midfielder Arne Engels is injured for at least a month. It comes mere weeks after a deal rumoured to be in the region of £25m from Nottingham Forest was knocked back on the winter transfer window’s deadline day, despite the Belgian’s inconsistent form.
Charlie Mulgrew has noted the injury blow for Engels but isn’t losing sight over some criticisms of the star. He would have accepted the bid that Nottingham Forest put in for the Celtic man. The former defender told Go Radio: “I think as well, when a player is injured, sometimes he becomes the best player in the world.
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Arne Engels at Celtic verdict
“A couple of results and you think, oh, we need him back. I don't forget Engels in terms of, I said the bid should have been accepted, and I would have accepted that bid. £20m with £5m in add-ons, that was the rumour.”
Ferguson would be keen to see why Celtic opted to reject the big bucks for their Belgian international. He said: “I think that's brilliant money. I mean, you're doubling your money straight away. Engels will be a big miss because Martin O'Neill picked him every single time. He was a big player for Martin O'Neill, so that's a huge loss for the engine room. I think midfield is so important at any team, and it was clear as day that Martin O'Neill fancied Engels because he played every single game.”
The Rangers hero came up against the likes of Engels, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda as interim Ibrox boss last season but reckons the latter two possibly have transfer talk impacting their season. He said: “In terms of Maeda, I don't know whether it's speculation that's maybe annoyed him.
What players could leave Celtic?
“He doesn't look what he was the previous seasons. Hatate is a big surprise for me because I really liked Hatate. I mean, I still think he's a very good player, but it just looks to me... he does look if he's checked out.
Mulgrew added: “I think no matter how good a player you are, if mentally you're not on it every single game and you've either checked out or your eyes off the ball, then you'll get found out. There's no doubt about it, Hatate is a really good player but you're no seeing anywhere near enough because whatever's going on with him and what he wants and what he's no getting or whatever, then he's no adding to the squad.
“I don't think he'll play in the next match. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, obviously glad we've got him in the building now. I don't know how ready he is for 90 minutes but you've also got Luke McCowan in there. I would play McCowan. Chamberlain when he's fit but McCowan can also do a job. You'd rather have players on the pitch that look like they want to be there and are going to give it all, because you'll feel that from them. McCowan's capable in possession and on the ball as well.
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