Gasperini’s Roma Chase Engels but Celtic Won’t Budge on €30m Fee | OneFootball

Three clubs, one price tag – and Celtic holding all the cards on Arne Engels.

Roma have entered the race to sign Arne Engels, joining Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth in pursuing the Celtic midfielder, with the Belgian’s valuation sitting at approximately €30m, as Football Italia reports.

The move is driven by Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who had already identified Engels as a target during his time at Atalanta. Now installed at the Stadio Olimpico and freshly armed with Champions League football after a seven-year absence, Gasperini hopes he finally has the platform to land his man. Belgian transfer pundit Sacha Tavolieri has reported Roma’s involvement, suggesting the Giallorossi believe their return to Europe’s top table gives them an edge over the Premier League sides.

Here’s the thing, though – Forest have been down this road before. They had a January move knocked back, with Celtic rejecting an initial bid of around £14m and then a follow-up of roughly £17m. By deadline day Forest had reportedly pushed their offer to £25m – £20m guaranteed plus £5m in add-ons – and still didn’t get their man. Celtic have made their valuation clear on Engels, and they’re not blinking.

The Numbers Work in Our Favour

Engels runs until 2028 at Celtic Park, so there is absolutely no contractual pressure to sell. We paid €13m to bring him from Augsburg in the summer of 2024, though Augsburg retained a reported 20% sell-on clause – meaning a significant portion of any profit flows back to Bavaria. At €30m, Celtic’s net return after that clause would still represent a very healthy outcome on a one-year asset.

This season Engels contributed seven goals and eight assists across 46 competitive games – numbers that justify the asking price rather than inflate it. He’s 22, capped four times by Belgium, and can operate across midfield positions. The market is not short of admirers: Milan, Napoli, Lazio, and Atalanta have all been connected to him at various points, which tells its own story.

Roma’s financial constraints add a layer of complication – they must balance their books by June 30 before committing to significant incomings, and that timeline could push a genuine offer further into the summer. Celtic are already planning for the possibility of Engels departing, with targets identified to replace him should the fee be right. That’s smart housekeeping – but let’s be honest, the right fee is the only thing that moves this deal, and no one has met it yet.

Hold the line, Celtic. Mon The Hoops.