Arne Engels contract examined after 'world class' West Ham scenes

Arne Engels has had mixed reviews since his arrival at West Ham.

The Hammers paid £22million to bring the midfielder from Celtic, where he had proved himself a very capable talent.

That was a Championship transfer record, and as a result, the scrutiny has been very high for the Belgian.

He looks like he is finally justifying the fee, after a string of brilliant performances in his last three matches in the division.

However, he will need to continue that, if he is to win over the fanbase at the London Stadium.

West Ham Zone looks at contract the he agreed when he signed for the Irons.

How long does Arne Engels' West Ham contract run?

Engels signed a five-year deal when he linked up with Nuno Espirito Santo's side.

That is set to keep him in E20 until 2031 at the very earliest, unless he is sold.

The Hammers also have a clause that allows them to extend his terms by an additional year.

Therefore, it all goes well, he could be with the three-time FA Cup winners until 2032.

How has Engels performed so far for West Ham?

Engels has played six league matches since making the move to English football.

He has completed 90.4 per cent of his passes and created three chances per 90 minutes, according to Fotmob data.

Engels has completed 36.7 per cent of his cross attempts and also recorded three shots in his time with the Irons.

Defensively, the midfielder has averaged 3.8 contributions, including 1.6 tackles, 4.6 recoveries and one clearance per game.

His finest moment was perhaps his assist for Konstantinos Mavropanos in the 3-2 win over Bolton on 8 September.

He flung in a cross and the Greek defender headed home, and it left Sky Sports co-commentator Dave Edwards stunned.

Speaking on the platform, he said: "This goal is all about Engels. It's a fantastic delivery; world-class. He whips it in around the back."

It has been a solid start, now he needs to kick on and show why he was so expensive.

What did Engels say about joining West Ham?

Engels confirmed that he intends to help Nuno's side get back to the top-flight when he signed.

In an interview with club media, he said: “It feels amazing to be here, so I'm delighted and I can't wait to get started.

“It's a really nice project to come into and try to go back to the Premier League, that's the big goal. 

"I think that's everybody's goal and it's just up to me to hopefully help the team with it and together with the supporters to get some wins.

"Hopefully, we'll see that it's going to be a good year then and I'm looking forward to the next ones."

That mentality should serve him well in East London, and should help endear him to supporters, if he can actually manage to achieve that ambition.