Arne Engels watches West Ham collapse after £22m Celtic transfer | OneFootball

Arne Engels’ Celtic departure is only days old, but the midfielder has already been given an early taste of the pressure awaiting him at West Ham United.

Arne Engels of Celtic FC (L) vies with Flavio Goncalves of Sporting CP (R) for the ball possession during the Sporting CP v Celtic FC Pre-Season Friendly match at Estadio Algarve on July 14, 2026 in Faro, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues Getty Images)

The Belgian missed Sunday’s clash with Burnley after his registration was not completed in time, leaving him to watch as his new teammates surrendered a 2-0 advantage to draw 2-2.

It was quite an introduction for Engels, who has swapped one demanding environment for another following his £22million move from Celtic.

West Ham are expected to challenge for an immediate return to the Premier League, and those expectations have only increased around Engels after he became the most expensive signing in EFL Championship history.

The 22-year-old is accustomed to that level of scrutiny after two seasons at Celtic, where dropping points inevitably brings pressure.

His Hoops departure also attracted plenty of debate, particularly given the timing of the deal ahead of the Hoops’ crucial Champions League play-off against LASK.

Chris Sutton was among those to question Celtic’s decision to sanction the transfer before the European tie, although the financial appeal was clear after the Scottish champions banked £22m for a player signed from Augsburg two years earlier.

West Ham must now hope they see the other side of that investment, with Engels expected to play a major role in their promotion push.

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