Celtic reject Nottingham Forest’s third bid for Arne Engels | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest want to strengthen their midfield before the transfer deadline as they seek to end the season strongly.

Forest are trying to get a deal done for Celtic’s Arne Engels, with the club having two bids already rejected for him.

Celtic have now rejected Forest’s £20 million plus £5m add-ons offer for Engels, according to Sky Sports.

The Hoops have no plan to sanction his exit this month, with manager Martin O’Neill wanting him to stay unless a £100m bid is submitted.

Engels joined Celtic from Augsburg for a club-record £11m fee in 2024. He has made 89 appearances across all competitions, registering 35 goal involvements.

With a move for the Belgian now proving to be unsuccessful, Forest are running out of time to add to their midfield options.

Forest have been linked to Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, but they pulled the plug on the deal, with manager Cristian Chivu describing him as ‘important in the squad’.

They have also explored the possibility of signing Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yasin Ayari, but a deal is also unlikely to go through.

Forest are six points clear of the relegation zone and have qualified for the Europa League play-offs, where they will face Turkish side Fenerbahce.