Celtic slap £100m price tag on Engels as Forest bids rebuffed
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has dismissed Nottingham Forest's approaches for Belgian midfielder Arne Engels, setting a staggering £100m valuation on the player.
Celtic have made it crystal clear that Belgian midfielder Arne Engels isn’t leaving on the cheap, with boss Martin O’Neill suggesting only a bank-breaking £100m offer would tempt them to sell.
Forest’s advances firmly rejected
Deadline day in the Premier League saw Nottingham Forest make not one but two attempts to lure the talented Belgian away from Celtic Park. The Midlands club first came in with a £13.7m bid before returning with an improved offer around the £17m mark.
Both approaches were swiftly shown the door by the Scottish champions, who clearly value their midfield maestro far more highly than Forest’s bean counters.
O’Neill’s adamant stance
Celtic gaffer Martin O’Neill didn’t mince his words when discussing potential suitors for Engels, making it abundantly clear he has no intention of selling one of his star performers.
“I’d like any transfer offer rejected unless it was £100 million,” O’Neill declared, essentially telling Forest to do one.
“I’d rather keep him,” the boss added, in what might be the understatement of the transfer window.
Why the steep valuation?
Engels has been pure class since joining from Augsburg in 2024 for around £11m. The numbers tell the story:
- 89 appearances for the Hoops
- 15 goals
- 20 assists
The 21-year-old Belgian international has become a proper diamond in Celtic’s midfield, and it’s no wonder O’Neill’s putting such a hefty price tag on his head.
Forest might need to have another butchers at their transfer strategy if they’re serious about landing Engels, because at the moment, they’re not even in the right ballpark with their offers.