Arne Engels tells friends he wants to join Celtic as talks open – sources

Arne Engels tells friends he wants to join Celtic as talks open – sources

Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels has told friends he wants to join Celtic this summer, sources have revealed to Football Insider.

The Hoops have opened preliminary talks over a deal for the 20-year-old and are now preparing to formalise their interest.

Celtic are in the market to sign a replacement for Matt O’Riley, who is expected to leave the club before the transfer window closes on 30 August.

Football Insider revealed that Celtic are willing to accept offers of £25million for O’Riley, and have come to terms with the fact they will likely lose him this month.

French outfit Rennes are also keen on making a move for Engels, but it is understood he would prefer a move to Celtic to play in the Champions League.

Celtic want to land Arne Engels deal as Matt O’Riley exit draws closer

Engels made the move to Augsburg from Belgium’s Club NXT – Club Brugge’s reserve side – in January 2023 for a fee below £100,000, and his value has rocketed in a year and a half in Germany.

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The midfielder has established himself as a key player for Augsburg and one of the brightest talents in the Bundesliga since making the switch.

Last season, he made 33 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing five assists from midfield as he helped his club to an 11th-placed finish.

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Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco invited Engels to train with the senior international side during their Euro 2024 preparations in a display of how highly he is regarded.

Aged just 20, he has also shown versatility in his game by filling in at both right-back and right-midfield, which is seen as a valuable asset for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

O’Riley, meanwhile, has attracted interest from some of Europe’s top sides, including Europa League winners Atalanta, and is expected to depart Parkhead this month.

Celtic’s player of the season last time out, the Denmark international scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

As a result, he will prove tough to replace in Rodgers’ lineup, but the recruitment team at Celtic believe Engels will develop into an equally impactful player.

In other news, Millwall are in talks with Celtic to fast-track Daniel Kelly’s exit.

Celtic eye second Norwich City swoop as Portsmouth transfer stance made clear

Abu Kamara is attracting interest from a Champions League club. (Picture: Jason Brown/ProSportsImages | Jason Brown/ProSportsImages

Celtic are reportedly interested in signing former Pompey forward Abu Kamara.

The Scottish Premiership side who will compete in the UEFA Champions League this season completed the £8.5m signing of Adam Idah this week following a successful loan spell, and are now looking at his Canaries teammate Kamara. Pete O’Rourke, a reporter for Football Insider said in a Twitter post on Monday evening that the Glasgow giants are monitoring a move for the 21-year-old.

Over the course of the year, Kamara has been linked with several clubs in England such as Southampton, Leicester, Stoke, Brentford, and most recently Hull, and now a move north of the border has been spoken about. Despite all the transfer speculation, Kamara is in the first-team picture at Carrow Road, and with the potential sale of Jonathan Rowe, he could be ready to take a better playing opportunity in Norfolk.

His 11 assists and 10 goals in League One last term has seen him return to Norwich with a spring in his step and he has worked his way in to Johannes Hoff Thorup’s plans. Kamara came on as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat to Oxford United on Saturday, and then on Tuesday he was influential as his goal and assist helped the Canaries to a 4-3 win over Stevenage.

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Kamara was a popular figure during his time on the South Coast, but a return is extremely unlikely. Earlier this week, John Mousinho consigned himself to Kamara remaining at Carrow Road following his breakthrough.

Speaking to The News on Monday, Mousinho said: ‘It (a Kamara deal) is nowhere at the minute. He’s part of Norwich’s squad and played at the weekend.

‘As far as I know Norwich have no intention to sell or move Abu on. So that’s where we are with that one.

‘I don’t think it’s one we are going to be able to pursue, unfortunately.

‘Yes (if the situation was to change they’d been keen to do a deal), everyone knows our admiration for Abu at this football club.’

Could Hibs bring in a new striker after Dylan Vente’s exit?

David Gray oversees training (Image: Ross Parker/SNS Group)

Head coach David Gray spoke to the media ahead of Hibs‘ trip to face Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup last 16 on Sunday. Here’s everything he had to say…

How much of last Sunday can you put down to Celtic being really good, and how much is stuff you can fix?

“I think Celtic were very good and there’s no getting away from that, but there’s things that we can do to improve, 100%. The first goal, for example, giving yourself a mountain to climb right away. Losing a goal in the manner we did, three minutes into the game, gives them a massive lift, gives them a foothold in the game and makes it a really difficult afternoon.

“The areas in which we can improve we’ve already identified, I think I said it straight after the game, sometimes when you speak after the game you then reflect and think, ‘Well, did I get that right, was I maybe a wee bit critical there?’  I think, when I look at it back, I still believe we can be miles braver on the ball. We didn’t carry enough of a threat and I showed that to the boys, and demonstrated areas in which we can be better.

“And we need to be better, because if we’re not better the same result will happen again. We need to improve. As I said, everyone’s fully aware of that and we’ve worked on that this week.”

Being braver on the ball, how much can you coach that, and how much comes from within players themselves?

“It’s definitely both. You need to feel it. I think that then comes back to the same thing I mentioned earlier with playing Celtic back to back, that the players have now been in that environment. Then when we watch back over the game, individually and as a group, we can demonstrate within situations – ‘What’s our options? Could you have played in that situation?’ I think everybody knows we didn’t do that, and that’s an area that we know we need to be better because Celtic are very good at keeping the ball off you, which we’ve seen at the weekend. But at the same time if you keep giving them it back it becomes a long afternoon, so we need to be braver.

“We’ve demonstrated that against Celtic before, that we can do it, it’s just about being brave and making sure you’re in the right position to be able to do it. Making the right decisions at the time, that’s always the biggest challenge.”

Bringing in Kwon, what qualities of his do you like?

“His quality on the ball; I’ve seen that day one in training as well, he’s really comfortable with both feet, handles the ball really well. And his athleticism, his ability to get around the pitch, his size; he’s aggressive with the way he presses and he’s got really good pedigree, he played at a really good level. So he definitely adds quality to an area that I think we needed to do.  He’s good in tight spaces which is the reason why Celtic have probably signed him. And, as I say, I’m delighted to be able to bring him in because he’s someone who definitely adds all that to us.”

You must feel as though you’re getting a baptism of fire, facing Celtic back-to-back?

“Yeah, listen, it’s not ideal. It comes back to us in the group stages: if you go and win the group, you get seeded. I’m not shying away from that at all, but I’ve said it already – to go and win a cup you need to try and beat the best and it’s an opportunity to do that in the cup game.

“In terms of the league, it’s been a tough start, but you need to play every team at least three or four times a season. so there are no easy games in this league. St Mirren away, first game of the season, and for 45 minutes, I thought we were very good, then the second 45 minutes we were really poor and we lost the game. So we can’t go into any game thinking there’s a right to win, or any game is easier than any other. In this league, everybody can beat everyone on their day and we need to be at 100% to make sure we can do that.”

You were saying that you might have to take a bit of short-term pain for long-term gain,  do you hope that people understand that? 

“One thing I wouldn’t want it to be is an excuse, definitely not. At this moment in time, yes; players are getting up to speed, players are only just in the building, there are new fresh ideas, all these things. But there’s still a good group of players here that need to step up to the level. There is competition now which will help push people on, I’ve already seen that on the training pitch and it’s about that then coming out in the games.

“People will talk about how we’ve got Celtic back to back and how difficult it can be and, of course, it is the biggest test you’ll face, going and playing Celtic away from home. But it’s something I touched on even before the game at the weekend, that you should enjoy the challenge of going and testing yourself,  then understanding what it felt like at the weekend, where we let ourselves down, and how we can be better.”

Speaking of brave, the first thing Kieron Bowie did when he came on was knock over Cameron Carter-Vickers. It’s a different kind of brave, but is that kind of gallusness something you’d like to bottle for all the players?

“100%. Kieron really enjoys the physical side, which is a massive part of the game in Scotland. It’s why he was very attractive to us with the qualities he’s got,  and like you’ve touched on there, there are very much two different types of bravery.

“There’s the bravery to go and put your foot in – I think you need to always respect your opponent, but you should never fear them. You should go and test yourself against them, and if you’re too passive – which we definitely were – it becomes easier for the opposition.

“We definitely need to be more aggressive, we need to be more on the front foot and make sure we put pressure on players rather than standing off too much. And then there’s the other side of bravery, when your team-mate is in possession of the ball.

“If he makes a good decision to take a touch, you need to be brave enough then to get in a position to help him rather than shying away from it. It doesn’t just come from the person directly on the ball, it comes from everybody involved to make sure they’re helping their team-mates, getting on the ball, and keeping it off Celtic.”

How far away are Junior Hoilett and Nicky Cadden from full fitness?

“Junior’s further behind just because of his injury, so he’s recovering from an injury rather than Nicky, who’s just recovering from being unattached. He’s done loads of work himself but it’s very different to when you actually come in and train with a group. He’s gone from doing individual running and things like that to group sessions  – reacting, twisting and turning, and all the situations that you can’t really re-enact.

“I think that’s something that I definitely felt as a player when I was coming back from injuries – which seemed like every other week! – that you can do as much running as you want individually, but to actually re-enact the pressures and situations of the game is so different to doing set things.

“Knowing that you have to run up to a line and turn, for example, compared to someone making you do things in-game. That’s the bit that’s missing for him at the moment, but as I say he’s had another full week’s training and he’ll definitely come into the plans at the weekend.”

With Dylan Vente having gone back to the Netherlands, were you with the club in facilitating that, or did you try to convince him to stay? How does it work?

“He was very frustrated in terms of not taking chances because he’s got a high standard of performance in training, he’s very good. He’s very good in front of goal, and the biggest thing was the fact that the chances he missed in pre-season came from him being in the right areas.

“I don’t believe he got as many opportunities throughout the whole of last season really, so these are all the things coaches look at; how could we try and make him better, how could we get him into these positions, get him the service, get him more touches in the box, try to get the best qualities out of him and the other strikers round about him.”

Are you considering bringing in someone else? 

“It’s definitely something we’d need to look towards, 100%. You need that competition for places. At the same time, though, it’s not as straightforward as just going and signing a centre-forward. You’ve already seen it can be very difficult to bring the right people in. I keep going back to it –  it’s about the right type of people we bring in, you just don’t go and sign a striker. The person you bring has to be able to affect the group in a positive way, and anyone coming in needs to be at least at [Dylan’s] level or else you’d put yourself in a weakened situation.”

And managers do say finding a striker is the hardest piece of the jigsaw…

“Yeah, well, obviously they’re very high in demand. Scoring goals is a big part of the game. They’re hard to find and that’s why they get paid more money than most people, nine times out of ten.

“The work’s going on all the time; we’re constantly looking to try to improve the squad and we’ll continue to do that because whilst the window’s open you need to be proactive all the time. The situation can change; our ideal situation might not be where things are right now but in a week’s time it can look completely different.

“I think we’ve already demonstrated that in the last ten days with the players we’ve brought to the club, and we’ve demonstrated it quite quickly with bringing in the two centre-backs and the goalkeeper earlier in the window. Every team and every club around the country, and in England, are all doing the exact same thing and I’m sure as the window stays open it’ll start to move again.”

5 Celtic transfer headlines as Luke McCowan awaits opening bid, Arne Engels roadblocks and Renato Tapia finds club

Brendan Rodgers has his hands full this transfer window

Luke McCowan is wanted by Celtic

Celtic have their hands full for the remainder of the transfer window with a number of positions still needing filled.

Brendan Rodgers has always wanted quality over quantity but it’s both elements needed at Parkhead with Champions League football to come and the necessity to retain the Premiership crown and attempt the Treble once again. They might have to do all that without Matt O’Riley who is believed to be getting closer to a move to Atalanta as the Serie A club continue to push for the Dane.

Celts are holding strong for their £25million guaranteed asking price but the feeling is that will eventually be met which leaves the champions with a glaring hole in that position.

One man who could fill that void is Augsburg’s Arne Engels who has been the subject of talks between clubs. Football Scotland told you the O’Riley sale would have to happen before Engels, 20, could be properly pursued while the Bundesliga club also have Ruben Vargas seeking a summer exit and that leaves them looking to avoid losing two stars in the same position.

Luke McCowan at Dundee has emerged as a target for the Hoops but Football Scotland understands no bid has yet to be tabled by Rodgers and co. with just Hibs thus far having multiple offers knocked back.

Former Celta Vigo defender Renato Tapia was named via social media as a possible target for Celtic but the Peruvian midfielder was confirmed as a Leganés player earlier today.

Ben Doak has multiple clubs sniffing around after Liverpool put him on their loan list and he could remain in the Premier League. Clubs abroad are also keen.

There has been no decision yet made by Owen Beck or his team amid interest from QPR and Celtic.

Atalanta identify O’Riley transfer alternative as Celtic talks drag on

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers with Matt O’Riley (Image: SNS)

As Teun Koopmeiners closes in on a transfer to Juventus, Atalanta are racing to find a centre-midfielder replacement.

The Serie A club are currently waiting for Celtic’s next stance on Matt O’Riley’s future while also considering Udinese’s Lazar Samardzic as an alternative option.

Koopmeiners’ move is expected to be finalised this week for around €59million, prompting Atalanta to act quickly.

They have made five bids for O’Riley, the latest being £21.5m. Celtic have rejected every single one of them, however according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Scottish Premiership giants have now lowered their asking price to around £25m, bringing the two clubs closer to a deal.

The report claims Atalanta chiefs are hesitant to increase their offer and are exploring other avenues, including Samardzic, who was previously linked to AC Milan, until the “exhausting” saga is complete.

With the transfer window closing in just over two weeks’ time, Atalanta aims to strengthen their midfield for the upcoming season in the Italian top-flight.

Celtic have their own man in mind should O’Riley depart Parkhead, and there’s talk that the Augsburg star has already informed his friends that he wants the transfer to happen.

Arne Engels is the name, and the 20-year-old midfielder is already attracting interest from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes.

Although, it’s thought that he would prefer to choose Celtic due to the opportunity to play Champions League football under Brendan Rodgers.

Last season Engles made 33 appearances, scoring three goals and providing five assists.

EXCLUSIVECeltic consider move for Swiss star Sanches as potential midfield replacement for outgoing O’Riley

Celtic have identified Lausanne’s Alvyn Sanches as a candidate to replace coveted midfielder Matt O’Riley.

Europa League holders Atalanta had their latest bid for the Danish international kicked out last night, an offer of £21.5million plus £2m add-ons rejected.

Celtic are holding out for a deal which shatters their previous record sales of £25million for Kieran Tierney and Jota, to Arsenal and Al-Ittihad, respectively.

And manager Brendan Rodgers insists the Scottish champions won’t give the time of day to any bids until their valuation of 23-year-old O’Riley is met.

Serie A side Atalanta, beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid in the European Super Cup Final on Tuesday night, view O’Riley as the ideal replacement for Juventus-bound Teun Koopmeiners, whose move to Turin hinges on the Bergamo-based club securing a midfielder of their own.

Swiss Under-21 star Alvyn Sanches has been identified as a midfield replacement for O’Riley

O’Riley remains a Celtic player for now after Atalanta’s latest bid was kicked out by the club

Celtic have been keeping tabs on Dundee forward Luke McCowan, with Hibs also keen

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Atalanta are also looking at Udinese’s Lazar Samardzic.

O’Riley remains relaxed over his future. Should he leave before the close of the window, Celtic will move to replace him from a list of potential replacements.

Competition for £4.3m-rated Swiss under-21 international Sanches stems from Nice, Club Bruges, Anderlecht and Burnley. Keen to take the next step in his career, the 21-year-old is expected to leave Switzerland before the close of the window.

Celtic have also been linked with £10m-rated Belgian wonderkid Arne Engels.

A late contender for Belgium’s Euro 2024 squad, the 20-year-old has impressed with Bundesliga side Augsburg.

As Mail Sport reported last week, the Parkhead side have also compiled reports on Dundee forward Luke McCowan, but have yet to firm up any interest with Hibs having already tested the Dens Park club’s resolve to keep the 26-year-old.

With just two weeks of Celtic’s transfer window remaining, the club are juggling multiple incoming and outgoing deals.

The signature of Adam Idah has added a much-needed boost to Brendan Rodgers’ attacking firepower but there are plenty of other priorities in the squad.

One of those is sourcing a replacement for Matt O’Riley if the midfielder leaves the club this summer.

Last season’s standout is being pursued by multiple teams in England and across Europe, with the potential of a sizable bid beyond £25m that tempts Celtic to sell.

To that end, Celtic are looking at Augsburg talent Arne Engels – and a big money move is possible per reports this week.

Arne Engels fancies a move to the Bhoys

Sky Sports reports that the Germans value him at around £9m in the market, meaning he would be an expensive purchase by Celtic’s standards.

However, there is hope of a deal being done. Despite interest from elsewhere including French side Rennes, Engels is said to favour a move to Glasgow to play Champions League football.

Any move is dependent on O’Riley leaving the club this summer. So if the Danish international doesn’t make his switch, we won’t see Engels in Scotland.

Engels has an exciting profile

Still just 20, Engels has been a breakthrough talent in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons, making 51 appearances in total for Augsburg.

FotMob reckon he’s a midfielder who has an eye for goal and forward-thinking creativity in possession, looking to be something of a like-for-like replacement for O’Riley – albeit with lots of development to come.

Celtic are benchmarking their potential replacement for O’Riley at a quality level with other names such as Daniel Gazdag linked with a switch to the Bhoys this summer.

Many fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Celtic manage to retain O’Riley’s talent for another season but if he does leave then the club must delve into the market with a bit of ambition.

Renato Tapia won’t be joining Celtic this summer after a flurry of speculation earlier this week linking him with a move to Scotland.

Tapia, a defensive midfielder, popped up on the radar of Celtic supporters after social media and messageboard chatter suggested he could be added to Brendan Rodgers’ squad this summer.

South American outlets also reported that the Bhoys were one of several options for the long-serving Peruvian international after he became a free agent.

However, following an exit from Celta Vigo, he’ll be staying in Spain.

Renato Tapia joins La Liga side as Celtic pursue other targets

CD Leganes, recently promoted to La Liga, have added Tapia to their ranks. They officially announced his arrival earlier on Thursday, ending any potential of a switch to Celtic.

The 29-year-old has signed a two-year deal and is already involved on the training pitch as the Spanish side prepare for their season-opener away to Osasuna.

Celtic have been keen on multiple other midfielders this summer but Tapia stood out because he offered a different profile.

The Bhoys haven’t been linked with many defensive-minded midfield options over the last 12 months.

Far more likely is a more attacking option joining the club as a replacement for Matt O’Riley, who is being aggressively pursued by teams across Europe this summer.

Arne Engels has been viewed as the most likely candidate to join Celtic in recent days, should O’Riley end up leaving Glasgow.

The £9m-rated midfielder is being pursued by other suitors, including Rennes in France, but he’s said to hold interest in pulling on the green and white hoops.

With a left-back and centre-back also needed, as a minimum, in the finals weeks of the window, Celtic have to start getting busier in the transfer market.

Arne Engels Celtic transfer talks held but TWO hurdles must be cleared for Augsburg star

The talisman attacking midfielder has interest from the Hoops

Arne Engels of FC Augsburg is a Celtic target

Celtic have held talks over a potential move for Augsburg’s Arne Engels – but must wait for TWO hurdles to be cleared.

Football Scotland understands the Hoops hold a genuine interest in the Belgian playmaker and have contacted the German club about a potential swoop for the 20-year-old. Engels made 33 appearances in all competitions last season and hit three goals with five assists to his name. That form has alerted Parkhead scouts who are keen and have reached out.

Engels would cost a pretty penny with around £10million being touted as the price his club want for his services, but it’s an outgoing Celtic man who would hold the key to any deal going through.

Matt O’Riley is expected to leave the club this summer with a fifth Atalanta bid being booted out by the Scottish champions who are still holding out for the £25million guaranteed with add-ons bumping the deal up. Should the Danish international leave, the path would be clearer for Engels at that stage.

Sources in Germany have also indicated to Football Scotland that another domino could have to be knocked down on Augsburg’s side of the deal. We understand their playmaker Ruben Vargas is hoping to leave the club before the end of the transfer window and that would throw a spanner in the works as the Bundesliga outfit would then be loath to lose both attacking midfielders from their squad.

The window in Scotland remains open until September 1 and Brendan Rodgers wants reinforcements at left-back, defence and in midfield. Another striker could also be brought in if conditions are correct.

Director says Celtic and Crystal Palace must pay over £7m to sign wonderkid

When you have Bayer Leverkusen for competition in a transfer battle, then you can be pretty confident that the player in question is one of considerable talent.

Bundesliga and German Cup winners under Xabi Alonso last season, Leverkusen’s remarkable success story is proof of not only what can be achieved with elite-level coaching but also a recruitment department operating at the very top of their game.

Jeremie Frimpong is a perfect example of both Alonso’s ability to turn good players into great ones, as well as Leverkusen’s ability to unearth rough diamonds available for bargain fees.

The jet-heeled wideman moved to the Bay Arena from Celtic back in January 2021. He set Leverkusen back just £11.5 million at the time. These days, Frimpong is on the radar of Manchester City amongst others, HITC understands.

And, three-and-a-half years on, Celtic may find themselves going head-to-head with Frimpong’s current employers for one of the next generation’s rising stars.

Celtic face Leverkusen battle for Bazoumana Toure

According to Swedish publication Fotboll Direkt, Brendan Rodgers’ side scouted Bazoumana Toure during Hammarby’s 2-0 win away at Brommapojkarna in July.

And talk about timing.

The teenage midfielder opened the scoring in front of those Hoops talent-spotters, spinning on the ball inside the box and lashing it into the top corner with his left boot.

That is one of five goals Bazoumana Toure has scored in just ten league starts this season, in addition to his two assists. Understandably, given such a return and considering that he only turned 18 a few months back, Celtic are not alone in their pursuit.

Bayer Leverkusen are keen. As are Eintracht Frankfurt and Crystal Palace of the Premier League.

Hammarby have wasted little time in setting their stall out, however. Toure is not for sale. And, even if he was, anyone who comes calling would have to make an offer in excess of £7.3 million to twist their arm, the Stockholm-based outfit determined to make Toure the most expensive sale in their entire history.

“There are definitely clubs that contact us from the top five leagues,” sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg tells Fotboll Direkt. “But we have been clear that we do not want to sell at all.

“(Toure) is an important player for us and our ambition is to keep him. We have not come to the negotiating table. We have only said that we are not interested in selling.”

“Of course that is the ambition,” Hjelmberg adds, confirming that the Ivory Coast international will have to be the subject of an offer capable of making the record books. “It definitely is.

“We knew that he is a very good player but (his development) may have gone faster than we thought.”

Bids must be over £7 million for Swedish league starlet

The director admits that Hammarby may be powerless to prevent Toure’s departure if they receive an offer in the region of their 100 million-plus Swedish Krone asking price. As things stand, however, no such offers have arrived.

“Where we are right now, and since we haven’t been given anything really concrete to decide on, it’s quite simple,” concludes Hjelmberg.

Scandinavian football is becoming a very fertile development home for young African footballers looking to make their name in Europe.

Mohammed Kudus and Ibrahim Osman, for example, both sealed big-money moves to the Premier League – with West Ham United and Brighton respectively – after honing their talents at Nordsjaelland.

Bazoumana Toure could soon be in the next cab off the rank.

He returned to haunt Brommapojkarna’s dreams again this week, notching twice in a 3-3 draw. Toure’s first showcased his explosive pace and cool finishing, while his second was tucked away with effortless, instinctive quality.

“He is as good as he shows. He is threatening all the time,” Hammarby teammate Nahir Besara tells Expressen.

“It feels like Toure has another level in him. We just need to refine the diamond.”