ARNE ENGELS is on his way to London to sign for West Ham at a initial fee of £22million.
Weeks of negotiations appear to have come to a firm conclusion with the 22-year-old Belgian international playmaker now on the brink of the move, according to the London club’s social media.
Engels, 22, was Celtic’s record buy at £11million from Bundesliga outfit Augsburg two years ago and the champions will now DOUBLE that outlay.
There are also likely to be add-ons to the transfer figure plus the Hoops will most certainly require a sell-on percentage in the contract.
One of Engels’ last actions as a Celtic player could turn out to be his curling corner-kick at Rugby Park on Sunday to set up Luke McCowan for the team’s fifth goal in the 75th minute.
ON THE MOVE…Arne Engels plays the ball away from Kilmarnock defender Aaron Tshbola in Celtic’s 5-1 win at Rugby Park on Sunday.
The London club were relegated from the Premier League last season and are determined to come straight back up this time around.
They are due to kick off their Championship campaign with a trip to Turf Moor for Sunday afternoon’s match against Burnley.
It’s too early to say if Engels, who is reportedly scheduled for a medical today, will be involved in that encounter.
Nottingham Forest had a bid in the region of £25million for the player rejected in the winter with the Hoops determined to hold onto the skilful midfielder for the crucial second half of a turbulent crusade.
The Belgian, who still has two years of his contract to run, came back after missing seven games through injury to play his part in the double-winning triumph and was on the mark in the club’s 3-1 Scottish Cup Final victory over Dunfermline at Hampden on May 23.
Engels scored seven goals across 46 appearances in all competitions last term. Overall, he claimed 17 strikes in more than 100 appearances for the Hoops.
Celtic brought in Mika Baur from German top-flight SC Paderborn yesterday and remain keen on Torino star Gvidas Gineitis as a replacement for the departing Belgian.
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