Arne Engels is transferring from Celtic Glasgow to Premier League relegation-bound West Ham United. The multi-million deal also brings FC Augsburg a substantial sum.
Word had already leaked on Friday that Celtic Glasgow and West Ham United had reached an agreement on Arne Engels’ transfer. Both clubs had agreed on a transfer fee of 22 million pounds—equivalent to just under 26 million euros. After the mandatory medical exam, nothing stood in the way of the move to London. On Saturday, the Hammers officially presented the 22-year-old midfielder as their new signing and described him as a record signing for a Championship team. Previously, Burnley’s Florentino (now at Ipswich) held the league’s record transfer fee at 24 million euros.
In addition to the aforementioned transfer fee, the Engels deal includes a five-year contract running through 2031.
The transfer is also of interest to FC Augsburg: The Bundesliga club had secured a 20 percent sell-on clause for 2024 when the reigning Scottish champions signed Engels for 13 million euros, making him their record signing at the time. Accordingly, the Belgian’s current transfer will bring approximately 2.6 million euros into the coffers of the Fuggerstadt club.
Engels Was West Ham’s Top Target
“He’s a player we’ve had our eye on as our main target for some time now,” West Ham’s Director of Player Recruitment, Nils Koppen, is quoted as saying. “For a player who is still very young and has his best years ahead of him, he has a great deal of experience and has established himself at a major club, where he has shown consistency and confidence.”
Engels, who will wear the number 7 at West Ham, described his new role as “a truly exciting project where I can play a part and try to help the team return to the Premier League. It’s now up to me to hopefully help the team achieve that and, together with the fans, secure some wins.”
Engels joined FCA in the winter of 2023 as a homegrown player from FC Bruges’ reserve team and immediately became a regular starter under Enrico Maaßen. In total, the 1.85-meter-tall midfielder made 51 Bundesliga appearances for the Fuggerstadt club. His stint in Glasgow was similarly successful: In exactly 100 competitive appearances, he tallied 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists) and demonstrated his offensive qualities.
From Champions to Relegation
While Engels celebrated the Scottish championship with Celtic in dramatic fashion last season—when the Green-and-Whites snatched the title from surprise contenders Hearts of Midlothian at the very last moment—the 22-year-old now finds himself in a completely different situation with the London club: West Ham is forced to rebuild following its bitter relegation from the Premier League.