Arne Engels is the talk of Celtic at the moment after completing a big-money move to the club from Augsburg on deadline day.
Joining for a record £11 million fee, the 21-year-old has vowed to repay Brendan Rodgers’ faith once he is fully up and running in Glasgow.
He stated: “They obviously paid a big amount for me, and I want to return a lot for the club. I just want to be (on) my best form here and just perform like I always do, that’s why they did it so it’s just for me to adapt now quickly to the situation, to the team.”
Having already made his debut against Rangers, supporters will be intrigued to see whether he is drafted in from the start when Celtic take on Heart of Midlothian this weekend.
However, Mark Wilson isn’t certain Engels will have it all his own way at the club despite becoming a marquee summer signing.
Mark Wilson on Arne Engels
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Wilson has reminded supporters that Engels will need to work hard for his place at Celtic amid competition from the likes of Luke McCowan in the engine room.
He stated: “He’s going to have a fight. Celtic have got three very good midfielders in there at the minute. They’ve added him at 11 million.
“McCowan’s shown that he knows the league, he knows how to score goals in this league, so even below him, if you want to put it in those terms, he’s got to battle, because McCowan will push him no doubt every day in training.
“At a big club like Celtic, nothing is guaranteed. You don’t get a guaranteed starting place because you were signed for X amount of money.
“Look at Idah. Idah was signed for 9 million, and people are saying, oh well, that guarantees Idah will play and Kyogo will play second fiddle. Well, you saw what Kyogo thought of that against Rangers. That doesn’t happen.”
Nothing is guaranteed in football
Engels will be expected to blossom at Celtic after enjoying three years of Bundesliga exposure at Augsburg, but all sorts of circumstances can dictate the order of a starting line-up.
Of course, his fee suggests he has been brought in as a starter. It would be strange on paper if someone like McCowan, who cost £1 million, were to become a more involved presence under Rodgers.
Nevertheless, that is the beauty of football. Anything can happen, and there is always room for a surprise or two in the context of transfer business.
Saying that you get the impression Engels will go on to thrive in the Celtic engine room. Hopefully, he is given plenty of opportunities for him to shine in green and white.
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