Arne Engels has a cloud over his head at Celtic that nobody else has, and that’s the fact that he is the club’s record transfer.
It’s not his fault that Celtic paid £11 million for Engels’ talents during the summer of 2024, but it’s a stick people have been beating him with ever since he joined.
What makes matters worse for the 22-year-old is the fact that Brendan Rodgers has dropped him to the Celtic bench for the start of the new season.
New signing Benjamin Nygren has pushed ahead of Engels, whilst Reo Hatate is probably the best of the lot on his day, and Callum McGregor simply can’t be dethroned.
Arne Engels trying to play ahead of Callum McGregor
The most likely way Engels gets into Celtic’s midfield is by playing as a number eight instead of Hatate or Nygren.
Although Ross McCormack touched upon how, when the Belgian star first joined from Augsburg, it was suggested that he could play as a number six, but he has been ‘nowhere near’ the levels of McGregor, as he told Clyde 1.
There were periods last season, especially the Glasgow derby, where Engels played as the deepest midfielder when McGregor was out injured, and he didn’t take his chance.
“It happened last season, didn’t it? McGregor came out of the team,” said McCormack. “Arne Engels got put in against Rangers, to play the number six.
“We got told all along that Arne Engels got signed, as a number six, and it was just nowhere near the same impact.
“Callum McGregor has been doing that for 60 games a season, for the last however many years. He’s Celtic’s most important player. Still.”
Engels’ situation ‘not ideal’ at Celtic
Celtic’s Europa League campaign kicks off on Wednesday night in Belgrade, after booking their League Cup semi-final ticket on Sunday, and then returning to Premiership action this Saturday.
The fixture list is piling up, and this is where Engels will be hoping to get back into Celtic’s midfield because, as Marvin Bartley touched upon, his situation is ‘not ideal.’
Bartley also wanted to note how Celtic winning games of football will continue to quieten down the noise about Engels because that’s all that matters.
“It’s not ideal for Engels because he wants to play games of football,” said Rodgers. “But for Brendan Rodgers, as long as the team is winning games of football, then it is ideal for him.
“He doesn’t care about the valuation or whatever was paid to bring a player to the football club. It’s about when you go out there and you put a Celtic shirt on, what do you contribute to the team?
“Whether you pay £11 million for someone, or somebody was a free transfer, or they came through the youth team. It doesn’t matter. He is putting the best team out there, and at this moment in time, that doesn’t involve Arne Engels.
“He is a very, very young player, who will get better and better. I know he comes in for a hard time because of the amount of money Celtic paid for him. Brendan Rodgers will know his qualities. Engels knows his qualities.
“But until he can produce that on a consistent basis, then Rodgers is going to pick his best team, whether it does or doesn’t include Engels.”
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