West Ham United has signed Belgian international midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic for £22 million, a fee that establishes a new record for the English Football League. Engels becomes the club's fourth acquisition of the summer transfer window.
Nils Koppen, West Ham's director of player recruitment, stated that Engels had been a primary target for some time. "Arne is a player we have been tracking for some time as a key target," Koppen said. "For a player who is still very young with his best years in front of him, he has very good experience and has established himself at a big club, showing consistency and confidence."
Koppen added that Engels possesses the "right traits, both as a player and as a character, to fit into what we are trying to build moving forward" and is "very motivated to be here for this challenge."
Engels joined Celtic in August 2024 from Augsburg, having previously played for Club Brugge. He has since won two Scottish Premiership titles and made four appearances for the Belgian national team.
Reflecting on the move, Engels expressed enthusiasm for the project. "It's a really nice project to come into," he said. "To try to go back to the Premier League. That's the big goal. It's just up to me to hopefully help the team with it and together with the supporters to get some wins. Hopefully it's going to be a good year."