Arne Engels makes Saturday appearance as Celtic open transfer talks

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Arne Engels is the subject of intense Celtic transfer speculation at the moment but he’s showing a strong mentality to get on with the task of performing for Augsburg.

Celtic are reported to have opened discussions with the German side for Engels’ signature. It’s said that they’re looking for as much as £9m for the player.

The Bhoys have a strong pot of money to play with this summer, especially when Matt O’Riley’s sale to Brighton goes through at an initial fee of £25m, rising to £30m.

Engels appears to be the priority when it comes to directly replacing the Danish international but there’s no real sign of an imminent breakthrough.

Celtic target Arne Engels features against Werder Bremen

The attacking midfielder played in the ‘number ten’ role for 80 minutes in Augsburg’s Bundesliga opener at home to Werder Bremen on Saturday, which ended 2-2.

Engels wasn’t too involved in a creative sense, failing to set up any chances for his teammates.

However, he was showing good attacking intent in the early stages and arguably should have scored with a close-range shot after latching on to a set piece.

He picked up a second-half yellow card and was eventually substituted with ten minutes remaining, getting a 6.6 match rating on FotMob.

Where Engels would fit in under Brendan Rodgers

Last season, numbers show that the 20-year-old was a player eager to get on the ball in the final third, showing directness with shots on goal, crosses and attempts to set up his teammates.

Brendan Rodgers would no doubt look to cultivate the creative side of his game in support of Celtic’s wingers and strikers.

We know the manager loves a midfielder who can break the lines and score goals, too, which would be a key part of Engels becoming a success in Scotland or not.

Engels is far from the finished product but has the potential to improve and flourish in the Premiership, which admittedly is of a lower standard to the German top flight.

Celtic could be the perfect place for him to learn his trade as a goalscoring, creative midfielder – working under one of the best managers around to unlock that side of his game.