West Ham United have revived their interest in Celtic midfielder Arne Engels after previously appearing to have been priced out of a potential move for the Belgian international.
The Hammers are preparing for their Championship opener against Burnley on Sunday, with Nuno Espirito Santo assessing his squad after the 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Portsmouth exposed some weaknesses at the London Stadium.
Engels has now emerged as a potential solution, with West Ham reportedly prepared to make a huge financial commitment to bring him to east London.
According to Alan Nixon, West Ham are willing to offer around £30 million for the midfielder. The proposed package could reportedly include an initial £25m fee, with additional promotion-related bonuses taking the total closer to the £30m mark.
Such a deal would represent a Championship-record transfer fee by a significant margin.
Engels could also be attracted by the prospect of a substantial wage increase, while Celtic are reportedly already considering potential replacements should the Belgian leave Parkhead.
Under Nuno, Engels could slot into an advanced midfield role. Edson Alvarez started in the holding position against Portsmouth, with Lewis Orford and Mahamodou Kante also featuring, but West Ham may feel they need greater quality and experience in midfield if they are serious about securing promotion.
The 22-year-old has established himself at Celtic as an attack-minded No. 8, contributing 17 goals and 22 assists in 100 appearances while regularly competing for domestic honours and gaining European experience.
With Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Tomas Soucek providing competition and depth, Engels could become an important part of Nuno’s midfield plans.
Although the proposed fee would be substantial, West Ham’s relatively modest net spending could give them room to make one major investment as they look to build a squad capable of returning to the Premier League.
