West Ham hand Celtic reality check as Chris Sutton can't stomach 'strange' Arne Engels development
West Ham United still have the pull to sign Celtic midfielder Arne Engels despite Premier League relegation.
The Hammers are closing in on a move for the Belgium international this transfer window.
Nuno Espirito Santo needs more creativity in midfield after Mateus Fernandes' departure, and it looks like the 22-year-old Hoops star is coming in to replace him.
Engels has agreed personal terms at the London Stadium as he prepares for Championship football.
The Irons are seen as favourites to win promotion to the Premier League next season, but it's not guaranteed.
Being in the second tier doesn't seem to matter, though, as the East London club are still able to convince players to leave Champions League clubs for them.
What Chris Sutton has said about Arne Engels move to West Ham
West Ham Zone have covered reports of Engels reaching a verbal agreement at the London Stadium, with negotiations ongoing with Celtic for a transfer.
Former Hoops forward Chris Sutton seems baffled by the idea of the Belgian ace opting to move to the Hammers while they're in the Championship.
The Glaswegian outfit are in the Champions League play-off, but that still doesn't seem enough for them to convince the midfielder to stay.
Sutton can't believe Engels is turning down the chance to compete in Europe to challenge for promotion at the Irons in the 2026-27 campaign.
The former English striker clearly can't stomach the fact that the East London club still have more appeal than Celtic despite being relegated.
Writing in the Daily Record on 1 August, Sutton said, "If Engels wants to go there right now it would be a lack of ambition for me when they are in the Championship. I know West Ham will pay big money, but you can’t go there with the assumption they will go straight back up to the Premier League.
"The Championship is a notoriously tough division to get out of and Engels should be aiming his sights at the top tier and competing in Europe - not battling for promotion. It would be a strange one, but it does look like he's going, which will leave Celtic looking even lighter in midfield."
What next for Nuno Espirito Santo after Arne Engels transfer?
Freddie Potts is on the verge of joining Club Brugge as West Ham have agreed terms for his sale.
Nuno has plenty of defensive-minded midfielders at his disposal, but it's still surprising to see a talented academy prospect leave.
Fans in E20 must surely have thought that Potts would have a big role in the team next season, but that won't be the case.
After the Irons complete a deal for Engels, it would make sense to bring in a few defensive reinforcements due to the uncertainty around the likes of Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Aaron Wan-Bissaka's futures.
A couple of midfield additions would also make sense, especially ones who can bring a cutting edge to the team.
There's one month left in the transfer window and it will be interesting to see how Nuno's squad will shape up over time.