West Ham face Crystal Palace transfer threat over Celtic ace | OneFootball

Arne Engels is looking increasingly likely to leave the Scottish giants this summer

Following their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, West Ham United are already becoming many people's early-season title favourites in the second tier.

The Hammers have not resided at Championship level for 14 years, but the London Stadium will play host to such football for the first ever time under the management of Nuno Espírito Santo.

The vastly-experienced Portuguese head coach will also be hoping for much more success in his first full season in E20 after taking over from Graham Potter last September following an extremely poor beginning to the 2025/26 campaign, which was a key factor in the club's eventual relegation on a high points total of 39.

Naturally, given the calibre of players who are still members of the Irons' squad at this moment in time, transfer speculation is already rife in East London with the summer window now open for business.

West Ham, alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, have already seen their prized assets and high-profile names linked with moves away, namely Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville - both of whom have reportedly attracted interest from Manchester United.

It has also been claimed that the club must generate in excess of £100m to help balance their financial books after losing out on the sheer amount of funds which are provided commercially by being in the Premier League.

As such, Nuno, who boasts a Championship title win on his CV, has plenty to ponder when it comes to reshaping a squad adequate enough to achieve promotion at the first time of asking.

And it is pretty evident that the Hammers won't be getting things all their own way when it comes to potential incomings between now and the end of August.

West Ham United face Crystal Palace threat in the race for Celtic star Arne Engels

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Indeed, with the likes of Fernandes seeing their services become increasingly demanded by the Red Devils, Arsenal and UEFA Champions League back-to-back winners, Paris Saint-Germain, plenty of names have been linked with a move to the London Stadium to fill the void which the 21-year-old is expected to leave behind.

An in-depth report from West Ham-themed site, The West Ham Way, recently outlined that some with strong recent pedigree in the Championship have been on the club's radar, including Jordan James - who won the division's Young Player of the Season - and its outright Player of the Season, Hayden Hackney, of Middlesbrough - who is still receiving strong attention from Everton.

Celtic's midfield sensation, Arne Engels, was also namedropped within said report, with the Belgian playing a key role in the Bhoys' Scottish Premiership title success under Martin O'Neill.

However, it has now emerged that whilst the 22-year-old looks set to leave Parkhead this summer, it may not be to this part of London, with West Ham's capital rivals, Crystal Palace reportedly 'serious contenders' for his signature following the appointment of Pierre Sage in place of Oliver Glasner.

The UEFA Conference League winners are said to see the seven-goal man as a direct replacement for Adam Wharton, who has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool - which would have repercussions on the Irons' upcoming Championship counterparts Blackburn Rovers.

Arne Engels could be swayed by Premier League move despite West Ham's stature

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Engels was signed by Celtic for a club-record £11m fee from FC Augsburg of the Bundesliga two summers ago, and has continued his upward trajectory in Glasgow, including putting his name up in lights in big domestic encounters and on the UEFA Champions League stage.

He was also the subject of three rejected bids from Nottingham Forest in January - worth up to £25m - and the East Midlands outfit are said to remain keen on a move themselves heading into Vitor Pereira's first full season at the City Ground.

With Palace set to compete in the UEFA Europa League next term, it would be no surprise to see Engels swayed by a Premier League transfer in the coming weeks, even though West Ham are a club of extremely large stature these days, and a chance to aid their rebuild is likely to be an attractive proposition for many players.