West Ham must forget Arne Engels - his Celtic teammate can fix Hammers issue | OneFootball

West Ham face a battle to sign Arne Engels from Celtic, but his teammate Reo Hatate could be a more realistic option to help the Hammers.

It promises to be a hectic summer transfer window for West Ham, as they look to give Nuno Espírito Santo a squad that can win promotion next season.

With relegation confirmed on the final day, the Hammers are still adapting to their new reality, and the off-field issues involving David Sullivan just add to the uncertainty around West Ham.

Pleasingly for fans, he has taken a step back from the club, and there has been clarity on Nuno's future, who is set to stay.

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That has allowed the club to get to work on reshaping the squad, with reports stating that West Ham will need to raise around £100m in sales.

West Ham need to address their midfield heading into the Championship

Such a figure may sound like a lot, but, with the Londoners valuing Mateus Fernandes at around £80m, it may be easier to hit than many think, even if they don’t receive such an amount for the classy Portuguese midfielder.

Either way, it seems inevitable Fernandes will depart, and the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo will be among those to move on as well.

Of course, if Jarrod Bowen is sold, the budget Nuno and the recruitment team are working with will only increase, so West Ham could be big spenders, even if they may have to wait to finalise substantial incomings.

When it comes to prioritising areas of the pitch to strengthen, midfield will have to be high on the list for Nuno.

Tomas Soucek remains a reliable figure for the Irons, and Mohamadou Kante, Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa are all decent young players who could handle the step-up if they stay.

But, Fernandes’ exit would leave a glaring hole in terms of quality, and it had been claimed that West Ham are among a host of clubs tracking Celtic’s Arne Engels.

Celtic’s Reo Hatate could be an ideal option for West Ham in the Championship

Yet, Premier League interest in the Belgian means it seems unlikely they will be able to win the race for his signature, but Engels’ Celtic teammate Reo Hatate is a much more realistic option.

The Japanese international was outstanding for the Glasgow giants after arriving in Scotland in January 2022, and he has gone on to win five Premiership titles since.

Despite his importance under Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, Hatate has fallen out of favour under Martin O’Neill, and it has been suggested he has told Celtic he wants to leave this summer, and it’s hard to imagine they will stand in his way.

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It feels like it’s the right time for a fresh start, as Hatate’s performances notably dipped last season, but, as mentioned, he was arguably the best midfielder in Scotland leading up to the previous campaign.

At his best, Hatate is a fantastic all-round midfielder. He can score goals, he is tenacious with his pressing, and he has sound technical ability, so he would be an obvious replacement for Fernandes in terms of the way he plays.

Nuno is going to need several signings that can make an instant impact, and, at 28, Hatate is in his peak years. Whilst the Scottish league is dismissed by some in England, there’s no doubting it’s a physically demanding division, and that would serve Hatate well when it comes to adapting to the Championship.

Clearly, West Ham will need to do a lot of business over the coming weeks, and it will be intriguing to see how the team looks when the deadline arrives.

The links to Engels show that they are in the market for a midfielder, and there’s no denying he would be a smart signing for West Ham.

Realistically though, Engels seems a long shot, but Hatate would be a relatively straightforward deal to do for a lower price, and he could have a big impact on what will be a new-look West Ham XI when the new season starts.