The sale of Arne Engels from Celtic seems inevitable.
The midfielder is more likely to be playing for West Ham on Sunday than at Tannadice tonight for Celtic.
That is is the view of Martin O’Neill.
At Friday’s media conference the Celtic boss seemed resigned to losing the 22-year-old. And equally resigned to searching for his replacement.
Why is that?
Celtic have had two options to take about Engels since Nottingham Forest made bids in January
- Retain him for the most important games of the season- European/Champions League qualifiers
- Recruit a replacement, someone of a similar profile or the type of midfielder that Martin O’Neill identified as being required.
Tellingly Michael Nicholson took neither option. He has the Celtic Way to conform with.
Instead Celtic finally signed Haissem Hassan and Mika Baur. Neither are a replacement for Engels.
Neither are match ready to start two legs against LASK. Both could have been signed ahead of the SPFL opener against Dundee.
You don’t need to be a cynic to think that Baur and Hassan were only signed with the virtual guarantee of the Engels fee arriving. It’s the Celtic/Nicholson Way.
🗣️ “Great opportunity… it’s really hard to turn it down.”
🗣️ “By the time he’s fit, it’ll be past the transfer deadline!”Celtic manager Martin O’Neill on Arne Engel’s imminent departure and an update on Alistair Johnston’s injury ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/WsrNfGEkZQ
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 14, 2026
Injury to Alistair Johnston seems to have forced the issue with Engels.
Not in the way that a functioning FOOTBALL CLUB would react.
Celtic have already sold Daizen Maeda this summer. Marcelo Saracchi hasn’t been replaced. Kelechi Iheanacho has more than been replaced.
THE ESSENTIAL ENGELS- ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CELTIC MISMANAGEMENT
Without Maeda, Johnston and Engels in the run-in to last season Celtic wouldn’t have won the SPFL title. Saracchi had a starring role in the title winning goal.
Against LASK Johnston, Engels and Maeda will be missing. A key player removed from every area of the team.
With Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran it is highly unlikely that Celtic will throw two double-blanks as they did a year ago against Kairat.
Even with Engels the midfield never fully functioned last season.
For whatever reasons the mix wasn’t right. Perhaps the shortage of quality wingers and a striker was a factor. Maeda was the only competent starting winger- and also the best striker.
Under O’Neill Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo were marginalised.
Alex Oxlaid-Chamberlain hasn’t started successive matches for Celtic. Ninety minutes have been rare. He is suspended for both legs of the LASK match, named in the squad to serve two of his three match suspension.
Many fans have been carried away by the signings of Hassan and Baur. Bolstered by the hilarity from Ibrox.
It is only human to revel in the problems of a deluded rival.
CELTIC GO INTO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAY OFF UNDERCOOKED
But in 2026 the Champions League is Celtic’s benchmark, not events at Ibrox.
Celtic are pushing to weaken their midfield. By choice from Nicholson.
O’Neill knows the risk, on Engels he said:
We always felt that if Arne left – we were hoping it was not to be – but if he left we would be looking for a box-to-box midfield player with real physicality. And that is something we would still look at.
I know the transfer window is pressing, and we are not getting everything in before these Champions League games. It would have been nice but we are where we are.
Chris Sutton was more blunt:
I can’t for the life of me work out why Celtic are allowing one of their best players to leave on the eve of one of the biggest games of the season.
It’s just DUMB.
There’s so much on the line, it’s unthinkable to go in to this match in a weaker position – but that’s what is going to happen with Engels gone.
By choice Celtic go into the LASK matches with a new look midfield.
Since May 16 they knew the dates and significance of the Champions League Play Off.
O’Neill admits ‘we are not getting everything in before these Champions League games’.
Gambling with Champions League qualifiers has long been the Celtic strategy. Nicholson owes everything in his career to Peter Lawwell.
The LASK matches are a 50-50 call.
Operating properly Celtic should have an 80% chance of progressing past the Austrian champions.
Over the next 10 days the club will be reliant on the fans and some inspiration from O’Neill to reach the Champions League.
It is easy to come to the conclusion that the club prefers the comfort of the Europa League to the demands of UEFA’s elite competition.
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11 Comments
by Cairney Robert
It didn’t take long before the drivel and moaning started…constant negativity from some knobends…
The player wants to go ,we make a hefty profit pays for some good new players …but then again I’m not making money from my opinion…
Away and throw shite at the moon…
by Editor
What about that vital little aspect of replacing a good player?
Remember? like when Johnston was signed to replace Juranovic?
It is what FOOTBALL CLUBS do, Celtic sell, fail then blame agents and UEFA FSR.
Thanks for your CQN style comments.
by Franz Roth
Is that you Michael? Peter?
You haven’t a clue.
by Chico
I dont understand why engels has become the best player in the celtic team now he has gone. Not once in his time here did I say engels had a great game. Some people are never happy unless the have something to moan about
by Editor
I’ve not really read anyone say that Engels is the best player in the team.
Article is all about replacing Engels, something Nicholson has decided not to bother with, at least seven month’s notice given.
No £20m plus bids coming in for Tounekti, Balikwisha, Yamada or Inamura.
How strange.
by Bonaventure
When does constructive criticism become negativity ?
Whether they are the best player s in that position or not surely common sense means you still have to replace constant first team players
by Valentines day Massacre
Firstly if they had kept him until the CL qualifying games then he may have caught an injury and the deal would have been scuppered ( look at Chermiti )! Secondly retaining his services until a replacement can be found would have taken an age as was proven by the time it has taken to bring in our 4 new top guys this window !
Big CCV’s beard would have turned white with age at the waiting for Arne’s replacement going on previous board form ?
by Editor
Some Celtic fans have become so conditioned to the club failing to act efficiently that they think that the current window is a model of success.
Clearly Maeda and Engels wanted to leave after serious offers were rejected last season, mainly because there were no alternatives in a thinly stretched squad.
After three and a half years Johnston also fancied something different.
And we still don’t have any sort of back up ‘keeper or left-back.
Some fans are very easily pleased and happily distracted by Nicholson doing almost the bare minimum.
by Martin Blackshaw
The Board knew long ago that Engels was a cert to go, so his replacement should have been brought in weeks ago in anticipation of both the CL playoff and the money the club would make back on Engels, not to mention CL qualification. The editor is right, as is Chris Sutton. Engels had his best game against Kilmarnock and was a critical component in midfield going into a major qualification tie. No club on earth sells a first-team regular at such a crucial time. Chris Sutton was right – it was “dumb”. I also share the gut feeling that Hassan and Baur were brought in on the strength of the Engels sale. If so, then no money from the bank hoarde has been spent thus far. Quite the opposite in fact, the hoarde will have increased.
I hope for all concerned that we don’t see that CL £40m go down the drain now for the sake of a few million left over from the Engels sale. That would be incredibly bad business.
by Stevie
The outcome of the tie will decide if the Engles decision was the correct based on the writers logic.
Celtic may feel they have enough to deal with the Austrians.
You can see clearly though that the club has purchased some great signings and most fans are back on side.
Back to the spending,if the club manages to clear out the dead wood and do another 3-4 deals of similar quality while maintaining the cash pile.
That’s good business isn’t it?
by Quietly Brilliant
Not The ” Celtic Way” The Dermot Desmond Way?? Celtic Always Seens to Love to At least Balance The Books or Make a Profit Every Transfer Window ( You Can Read Them Like a Book?).