Manchester United and Manchester City are both interested in the Nottingham Forest maestro
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels has been touted as an ideal replacement for Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest - who is being linked with a ground-breaking move away from the City Ground.
Engels was the subject of three rejected bids from the Reds in January with the highest being a £25m attempted Deadline Day swoop. As the summer window commences, Forest are reportedly set to have another bite at the cherry of signing the 22-year old, who is currently under contract at Parkhead until 2028. European giants RB Leipzig and Lazio have also taken an interest.
England midfielder Anderson has enjoyed the best form of his career at the City Ground and has been a standout performer in a struggling Forest side. Manchester City and Manchester United are both now preparing bids for the former Newcastle man, who manager Vitor Pereira reportedly values at over £100m. Former Scotland international Robert Snodgrass believes if the Anderson rumours are true and he does head to Manchester, it could open the door for Engels’ Celtic exit.
Engels branded replacement for Forest superstar
He told Booker: “Arne Engels was great in the recent Old Firm. I thought he added that sort of fitness level that Celtic had probably missed towards the back end of the season. Now that he’s won the league, he needs to get to the levels that he wants to. I think it’s been a little bit stop-start for Engels if I’m honest. It’s hard to put a price tag on him but with Nottingham Forest being big admirers. I think they’ll have a think about signing him as an Elliot Anderson replacement because he’s definitely got the potential.”
Celtic’s decision to reject the lucrative bid for Engels was put under a microscope on Deadline Day, particularly when the Belgian suffered a thigh injury, only days later. However, he returned for the season run-in and played a key role in securing the domestic double for the Hoops, having scored in the final-day league decider against Hearts and in the Scottish Cup final victory over Dunfermline Athletic.
Latest on Anderson transfer rumours
Premier League champions Arsenal have also been monitoring the progress of Anderson, however, it’s City who are claimed in the driving seat. The midfielder was recently chosen in Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad and is set to start from them in North America. Anderson changed international allegiance to the country of his birth in 2024, despite playing for Scotland at nearly every other youth level.
Having started out at Newcastle United, the city where he was born and bred, Anderson made the move to Forest two years ago for a reported fee of £35m. If the Manchester rumours are true, he could be leaving for almost three times in the summer, giving Forest more scope to splash the cash on someone like Engels.
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