Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has responded to claims Nottingham Forest have made a bid for midfielder Arne Engels.
The Reds have maintained an interest in Engels since being unsuccessful with three offers for him during the winter transfer window. They are not the only ones eyeing him up as the 22-year-old also counts Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Lazio, Villarreal, Roma and Atletico Madrid among his admirers.
Recent reports from the Belgian’s homeland claimed Forest had tried to get ahead in the race for his signature by submitting a “formal offer”. It was suggested a deal could be completed as early as this week.
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“I haven’t heard that. I would have heard that by now,” O’Neill told The Scottish Sun when asked about the reports. “It’s not to say that there might be something but I don’t know anything.”
O’Neill has already admitted Engels could be on the move this summer. The ex-Reds boss said his former club’s previous attempts to prise the youngster away came too close to the window’s cut-off, but it could be a different story if business is done early this time around.
On the prospect of Celtic having their resolve tested, O’Neill had said over the weekend: “I would imagine so, yeah. At this minute I don’t think anything has happened.
“Where it carries on up towards the end of the window then suddenly something happens you’re not ready because it’s happening too late. All those bids Nottingham Forest made came in on the 11th hour so that was just a non-goer for us at that particular stage.
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“Then he got injured just after that. So if some things can happen a bit earlier then maybe there’s some resignation on my part there too.”
Forest are in need of reinforcements in the centre of the pitch following the sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City. A number of potential options have been looked at, including Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi.
So far, the Reds are yet to add to their ranks since the summer window opened last month. They have until 11pm on September 1 to get their business done, with new head coach Oliver Glasner requiring only a handful of signings for his squad.
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Nottingham Forest reporter Sarah Clapson
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