Sunderland have the intel to bypass auction for Celtic star Arne Engels - verdict

Sunderland will know that a bid of £25million is likely to be enough to secure the services of Celtic midfielder Arne Engels this summer.

The Black Cats have become the latest Premier League club to set their sights on the 22-year-old, who has caught the eye since moving to Scotland in 2024.

Engels came within a whisker of moving to Nottingham Forest back in January, as the Reds saw three separate bids rejected by the Bhoys on deadline day.

The Belgian remains a target for the Reds, and Sunderland must be ready to use their failed winter pursuit as the benchmark for their own chase this summer.

With Forest and Fulham also keen to make a move for the youngster, Regis Le Bris' side have plenty of competition, but it is already clear how they can avoid a bidding war.

A Premier League move has been on the cards for Engels for several months now, and Sunderland could be the lucky beneficiaries this summer.

£25m bid could get Arne Engels deal done instantly

Forest worked tirelessly to try to land Engels in January, but ultimately saw their efforts fall in vain due to the timing of their pursuit.

Celtic were extremely unwilling to lose such a key part of their team on the final day of the winter window, as it left them with no time to adequately replace him.

However, it could be a totally different story for the Glasgow giants this summer, especially if the same amount of money was tabled once again.

A £25m departure would have seen Engels become one of the most expensive sales in the Hoops' history, and they surely won't turn down that opportunity if it is presented to them again this summer.

They need cash to oversee the overhaul that Martin O'Neill desires, and Sunderland must use that to their advantage.

The Wearsiders could potentially bypass the rest of the chasing pack by going straight in with a quick £25m offer, and it would be no surprise to see Celtic accept.

The timing appeared to be the main reason behind their decision to reject that amount of money back in January, so without that pressure this time around, it should be enough to get a deal done.

Engels 'tempted' by Premier League move as Celtic 50/50 on offer

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider back in February that Celtic were 50/50 over whether they should have accepted Forest's £25m offer.

The ex-recruitment man made it clear that the bid was almost deemed as being too good to refuse at Celtic Park, and added that it was seriously "tempting" for them.

Brown also noted that Engels himself was "tempted" by the idea of playing in the Premier League, as he is keen to take the next step in his career.

That looks set to play into the hands of Sunderland and the chasing pack this summer, as player power being forced to force through transfers is becoming increasingly common.