West Ham’s £22m fee leaves Celtic scrambling for midfield power
Celtic have felt the sting of West Ham’s £22 million summer purchase of Belgian midfielder Arne Engels, a fee Martin O'Neill says the club is now paying for after failing to secure a like‑for‑like replacement since the deal was confirmed and the midfield gap has already shown up in key fixtures.
The story was detailed by John McGarry, Scottish chief sports feature writer, on 19 September 2026.
Bids, sale and missing midfield
The Belgian was the subject of substantial bids from Nottingham Forest at the turn of the year. While Celtic resisted selling the midfielder in that window, they eventually agreed to let him go when West Ham tabled £22 million in the summer, still without a replacement lined up.
Engels’ absence has been sorely felt. Celtic crashed out of the Champions League to LASK, suffered a heavy defeat to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup and were beaten by Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Parkhead side also tried and failed to sign Torino’s Lithuanian midfielder Gvidas Gineitis in the closing days of the transfer window, a matter O'Neill now admits has left the team short in a key area.
O'Neill stresses January urgency
‘I think that in an ideal world it would have been greater to have the likes of Arne Engels and that type of running power,’ O'Neill said. ‘He’s been a loss in terms of that running power he can give you.’
Ahead of the first league meeting with Rangers at Parkhead today, O'Neill warned that securing a replacement must be a top priority as soon as the January transfer window opens. ‘January seems a million miles away, but it comes round relatively quickly. You’d have to do something then,’ he added.
Between loans and permanent signings, O'Neill welcomed ten new faces over the summer. After a decent start the club has lost three significant matches, and the manager is still searching for the best formation to suit the players at his disposal.
When asked if the summer recruitment began with a particular system, O'Neill replied, ‘Not necessarily. You need strong running players in your side, a bit of strength, and the ability to break systems down.’ He added that he had watched Manchester United against Brighton, noting how even top Premier League sides can make unexpected defensive mistakes.