'Celtic sold Arne Engels on Premier League stepping stone agreement'
03/24/2025 05:17 PM
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels’ is believed to have joined the club in the expectation it would lead to a move to the Premier League soon.
The 21-year-old joined Celtic from Bundesliga side Augsburg for a club record fee of £11million [Sky Sports] in the summer.
In spite of the immense pressure placed on the young midfielder’s shoulder, having not only become the club’s record signing, but also replacing the popular Matt O’Riley, Engels has been brilliant for the Hoops.
A stunning performance against Aston Villa in the Champions League underlined the Belgian’s quality, but the former Augsburg man may not be at Celtic Park for much longer.
Celtic a ‘stepping stone’ for Arne Engels to make Premier League move
Speaking on the PLZ Soccer podcast, former Hibernian forward, Tam McManus, explained how Celtic and Rangers have found a strategy to secure young talent, by offering them a pathway to bigger clubs and leagues, saying: "I think that when younger players come to Celtic or Rangers, it's a stepping stone probably to the English Premier League, which is the biggest and richest league in the world.
"I think that's how Celtic got Engels in, that's how they've sold that to him, from the Bundesliga to Celtic, saying you're gonna play and you're gonna play in the Champions League.
“Next move for you might be English Premier League."
Celtic set for busy summer as search begins for ‘A-list’ striker
Football Insider Verdict
Celtic allowed Kyogo Furuhashi to join Rennes for £10million [Sky Sports], without signing a direct replacement in January.
Instead, having re-signed Jota, Brendan Rodgers has moved Daizen Maeda to a more central role, allowing the fan-favourite Portuguese attacker to play in his more comfortable left-wing position.
| 2024/25 Premiership stats | Engels |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Starts | 18 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Minutes | 1,591 |
With money to spend after selling Furuhashi, Celtic are planning on signing an “A-list” striker this coming summer.
With Rangers potentially enjoying the benefits of a large transfer kitty, if the 49ers Enterprises takeover is successful, the Hoops may be spurred on to invest more this summer.
This season’s Premiership title-race has been a one-horse affair, with the Bears lagging behind all season, but some new signings and the new life a takeover would bring, may introduce more parity between the two sides next season.
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