West Ham sent clear Arne Engels transfer message by Celtic manager Martin O'Neill | OneFootball

Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has revealed West Ham's opening offer for Arne Engels was way below their valuation of the midfielder.

West Ham are expected to be very busy in the final month of the window as they look to build a team that can bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Like all relegated clubs, the Hammers were going to have to sell some prized assets as they adapt to their new financial reality in the second tier, and the departures of Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville for huge fees had eased any major pressure.

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Whilst other outgoings are inevitable, with Freddie Potts poised to join Club Brugge, there will be a focus on strengthening Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad.

West Ham told they must increase their transfer offer for Celtic’s Arne Engels

With Potts set to follow Fernandes out of the door, combined with an injury to Tomáš Souček in the World Cup, many Hammers fans will feel that a new midfielder should be a priority.

And, it appears that Celtic’s Arne Engels is emerging as a key target for the Londoners, as the Belgian has been linked with a move to West Ham for a number of weeks now

So far, no significant progress appears to have been made, and, speaking to Sky Sports, Celtic chief Martin O’Neill confirmed that whilst the Hammers have made a move for the midfielder, they are not ‘remotely’ close to agreeing a deal.

“I think with West Ham (interest in Engels), there’s definitely truth in that. I think there has been something put in, but it doesn’t remotely meet our valuation for a start.”

It has also been said that Celtic are seeking a fee in the region of £25m for the ex-Club Brugge man, who was subject of an offer of that size from Nottingham Forest in the January window.

In the end, Engels remained in Glasgow, and his return to full fitness was crucial for Celtic as they won the title on a dramatic final day against Hearts.

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Arne Engels would be a statement signing for West Ham

The market for midfielders has gone crazy this summer, with Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonai, and, of course, Fernandes, all going for massive sums.

With West Ham the beneficiaries of the latter, it was always going to have a knock-on effect, and, in the current market, £25m for Engels seems like a very fair price from Celtic’s perspective.

At 22, he is still a young player who is developing, and, even if he can be inconsistent, Engels has all the tools to be a top midfielder.

That’s why Nuno and the recruitment team will be identifying Engels as a target, and, even at £25m, it could turn out to be shrewd business for the Hammers.

Obviously, they will have other targets in mind, and many will expect at least two midfielders to arrive in the coming weeks, but Engels could be exactly what West Ham need.

O’Neill’s comments suggest nothing is close, and that does leave the Irons vulnerable to outside interest, but they also want to get the best deal possible.

So, it will be interesting to see how it plays out, although Nuno will no doubt be pushing for Engels, and other prospective new signings, to join as quickly as possible, as he will recognise the importance of bedding them in ahead of the new season.