Tottenham could come calling for the in-demand Celtic star this transfer window.
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Tottenham could add a Celtic star to their busy summer transfer drive, it’s been claimed.
The Premier League side have signed Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali in midfield already this summer but reports have suggested Arne Engels is on their radar. Nottingham Forest have also had strong interest in the Belgian international who Serie A side Roma are also believed to be keen on.
A Celtic exit seems likely for Engels and transfer journalist Pete O’Rourke senses it will be difficult for them to keep one of their top assets. A Premier League move would attract for the star signed from Augsburg almost two years ago and Tottenham are a possibly surprising avenue he could pursue.
Where could Arne Engels go to this summer transfer window?
O’Rourke told The Transfer Insider Podcast: "It's going to be hard for Celtic to keep hold of him this summer, despite rejecting an offer for him in January. Obviously, they've got more time to plan ahead in this summer transfer window. I'm sure Engels himself would be interested in the move away if a move to the Premier League comes up.
“For Tottenham, again, their interest has come as a surprise maybe in some respects. They've bolstered their midfield already with Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. So whether they see Engels joining that as well remains to be seen, but they are showing no signs of slowing down in the transfer market."
Paul Lambert has fears over the Hoops squad and has warned his ex-side that they are not good enough to compete this term if it remains in its current state or players like Engels exit without sufficient replacements. Celtic drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough in a friendly on Saturday as the former midfielder raised concerns on Sportsound of recruitment done so far with just forward Camilo Duran arriving.
Paul Lambert on Celtic transfer recruitment
He said: "If you don't spend, you stand still. That's always the key. You have to improve. Listen, I've seen Celtic – they're nowhere near good enough at this moment in time, nowhere near it. "I think everybody recognises it and knows it. You get [Daizen] Maeda, who turned up for about six games last season, so that's not enough over a season, it's not enough. You need people to do it consistently over the course of a season.
“Because they want a move, you get six or seven games out of them at the end of the season – it doesn't work, you have to get guys that do it over a long period of time. The problem they've got at the minute is, the squad was very limited last season – they won't get away with that again. The manager knows it... They need ready-made players. And the infrastructure has got to be so important for them to do that.But they need ready-made players that know how to win football matches because you won't get away with it, not this time. The squad's not strong enough, you can see that."