Arne Engels exit basically confirmed as Celtic line-up bargain replacement
Celtic midfielder Arne Engels could be set to depart in the summer transfer window.
Nottingham Forest had three bids turned down by Celtic, with the final approach reaching a figure of £25million.
Engels has notched five goals and seven assists in 37 appearances so far this season and the 22-year-old was deemed as too important to sell.
However, interest may prove too strong in the summer, and Martin O’Neill‘s side may already have their replacement lined up, which basically confirms an exit is on the cards.
Celtic make approach for Bundesliga star
Engels could leave Celtic when the transfer market reopens, as they have found a bargain option from the Bundesliga.
The Scottish Sun on 7 February claims that the Hoops have offered a pre-contract deal to RB Leipzig midfielder Xaver Schlager.
It states that reports in Germany state that the Parkhead side are the only team to have made an approach for the 28-year-old.
How does Schlager compare to Celtic star Engels?
Schlager is the more experienced of the two, with 49 caps for the Austrian national team, compared to Engels’ four caps for Belgium.
The veteran also has 140 appearances in Germany’s top league, with a further 15 matches played in the Champions League.
Engels had 51 games in that league with Augsburg before he joined the Hoops, and has featured 10 times in Europe’s premier competition.
| Competition | Schlager | Engels |
| Bundesliga | 140 | 51 |
| Champions League | 15 | 10 |
One area where the current Bhoys ace betters the potential new addition in his contributions, with Schlager having just two goals in 19 appearances this season, compared to 12 for the man he may replace.
The Hoops need players with the level that the Austrian would bring, if they are to reassert their dominance on the Scottish game.
Losing Engels would be a blow, but making a huge profit on the man they signed for £11m, and bringing in a free transfer as a replacement, would be a very smart move.
It is a type of business sense that the Dermot Desmond-led club have lacked in recent years, and could help them in their attempts to get back to the elite operation that has been associated with the Celts before the recent chaos.