Celtic have rejected an improved offer for Arne Engels after Nottingham Forest made an early deadline day bid of £17.3m for the midfielder.
Forest made an initial bid of £14m for the Celtic star before the Hoops took on Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
The Parkhead club rejected that offer with Celtic boss Martin O’Neill joking that Engels would not be allowed to leave for anything less than £100m.
Can Celtic afford to sell Arne Engels?
But it seems the Premier League outfit are not giving up after Sky Sports announced Forest made an improved offer of £17.3m for the Celtic midfielder.
- READ MORE: Celtic set to announce first transfer deadline day signing with ‘verbal agreement’ reached
Celtic tell Nottingham Forest Arne Engels is ‘not for sale’
Sky Sports released a breaking early morning transfer deadline day update this morning saying Forest are not giving up on Engels.
Sky Sports reported, “Celtic have rejected a bid, an improved offer of £17.3m, €20m, for Arne Engels from Nottingham Forest.
“Celtic have told Forest that he’s not for sale and that they hope that that is the end of the matter.
“Celtic rejecting an improved bid of £17.3m.”
Celtic are clearly in no mood to sell Engels with Martin O’Neill looking to strengthen the team today, not weaken it.
What Martin O’Neill thinks about Arne Engels at Celtic
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill is a huge admirer of Engels and it is crystal clear the Hoops boss rates him highly.
Speaking after hearing of Forest’s initial bid after Celtic’s win over Falkirk, O’Neill said, “Honestly, I’m telling you, I didn’t know a thing about it.
“If they’d done it, then they must have done it during the game. No, no, no, seriously. No, seriously, because I didn’t know a thing about it.
“And I’d want it rebuffed, unless it was £100 million. And then I think the board would step in then.”
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