Celtic reject £17m bid from Nottingham Forest for Arne Engels

Celtic have rejected a £17m bid from Nottingham Forest for midfielder Arne Engels, according to the club. The 22-year-old Belgian has been a key player for Celtic since joining from German club Augsburg in August last year, helping the team win the Scottish Premiership and League Cup.

The initial offer of £14m was turned down, with Forest then upping their bid to £17m but being rebuffed once again. Interim manager Martin O'Neill believes that Engels is crucial to the team's success this season and has stated that he would prefer to keep him on loan for another six months.

O'Neill made his comments after Celtic's 2-0 win over Falkirk, which was followed by a series of transfer rumours involving several high-profile players. Both Celtic and Forest are set to participate in the Europa League play-offs this month, with O'Neill's side currently second in the Premiership but six points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian.

Engels has played 89 times for Celtic in all competitions since joining from Augsburg and is widely regarded as one of the top young midfielders in Europe. The club are close to making two further signings before the transfer window closes, however the exact details remain unclear.

just think about it... £17m and they still can't get Arne Engels on board? I mean, what's wrong with Forest? They know how good he is! and Celtic are like "nope, we're outta here". Martin O'Neill just wants him to stay but Celtic's all "we need that cash now" ... it's so frustrating for fans

I think it's crazy how much money these clubs are willing to spend on players . It's all about winning and being the best, right? As Albert Einstein once said "The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think."

omg i cant even believe its true arne engels is staying at celtic!! i was literally thinking he was defo leaving but martin o neill knows his stuff lol i mean who wouldnt want to keep this dude around? hes been on fire since joining last year and has already won so much with the team. 17m is a decent offer but for engels im sure celtic can do way better now that forest got rejected, they must be really desperate lol i cant see them doing any better than that bid. anyway, im glad celtic came out on top this time. lets see how the rest of the season goes

can't say i'm surprised forest went all out with £17m bid lol, that's a lot of cash for a 22-yr-old midfielder but engels has been on fire since joining celtic ️ anyway, it's clear martin o'neill values him highly & wants to keep him around to help his team achieve more success. now, it'll be interesting to see how forest copes without him

Aww, it sounds like they really need Arne Engels at Nottingham Forest... like he's super important for them and Martin O'Neill wants to keep him but Celtic isn't willing to budge on price . Poor guy, being torn between two teams with big ambitions. He must be stressed about this. And now they're gonna sign some other players, so fingers crossed Engels finds a way to stay with Forest

just saw that Celtic turned down another bid from Nottingham Forest for Arne Engels... tbh i think its a no-brainer for Forest to keep trying, he's been pretty important for them last season . but at the same time, if Celtic really want him they should just pay up, dont wanna see him go mid-season like that... O'Neill seems right though, engels is a key player and would be a huge loss for either team. hope forest can manage to get him on a decent loan deal tho

idk why not let go of engels he's been a game changer for them... O'Neill's comments kinda make sense tho, but £17m is still super steep maybe they shouldve waited till next season or somethin to match their budget?

I think it's pretty clear that Celtic aren't just holding out for a ridiculous amount of money - they genuinely believe Arne Engels is worth more than what Nottingham Forest are offering . I mean, 89 games played in all competitions isn't something to be taken lightly! He's clearly had a big impact on the team since joining from Augsburg last year. And Interim manager Martin O'Neill knows it too - he's not just saying that because of loyalty or sentiment, but because Engels is literally crucial to their success this season ️.

And can we talk about how Forest's bid went up from £14m to £17m? Like, what were they thinking ? You'd think that would be enough to seal the deal, especially if they're already paying top dollar. It just goes to show how much Celtic value their players and aren't afraid to negotiate .

It's also got me wondering about the state of Forest's midfield - are they really relying on Arne Engels to carry them through? And what other signings are they planning to make before the transfer window closes? This whole situation is just so juicy

OMG u gotta know about this midfielder Arne Engels ! Celtic just rejected a £17m bid from Nottingham Forest for him and I'm LIVING FOR IT ! This dude has been a key player since he joined last year and won the Scottish Premiership & League Cup with them . He's like 22 but already considered one of the top young midfielders in Europe ! Can't believe Forest was willing to go up to £17m for him . O'Neill thinks he's crucial to Celtic's success this season and wants him on loan for another six months . I think that's a genius move by Celtic, they don't wanna lose him ! Anywayz, hope you're as hyped as me about this transfer drama

I'm surprised Forest is willing to pay that kind of cash for a midfielder like Engels... but at the same time, Celtic must've seen something special in him when they signed him last year . I mean, 89 games and 2 league titles is no joke! O'Neill's got a good eye for talent, but it's hard to blame Forest wanting to strengthen their squad before the Europa League play-offs... that's a tough competition, and every point counts . Maybe Celtic are just playing it cool and waiting for someone better to come along?

idk why engels would wanna leave celts tho ... they just won the league cup last year and he was a major contributor ... but on the other hand, forest's squad looks kinda weak atm, and he could be a game changer for them ... and inter man o'neill seems like a cool guy who knows what he's doing ... so maybe engels just wants to experience european competition in the europa league ... but at the same time, celts have been pretty loyal to him since he joined last year, so that's a big factor ... and what's £17m really tho? is it worth sacrificing another 6 months of loan with engels if forest can afford it

I don’t usually comment but I gotta say... it seems like Arne Engels is really a game changer for Celtic . They got him on a decent deal and he's already won them some major trophies, now they're not gonna let him go without a fight . £17m might be steep, but if Forest wants to take their team to the next level, they gotta be willing to make sacrifices . O'Neill seems like a solid manager, knows what he's doing, and I think he's right to want Engels back for more time . Celtic's already got some quality signings lined up, but it'd be a shame if Engels was the one who slipped through their fingers .

omg i cant even believe its happening again arne engels has rejected nottingham forests £17m bid and im literally shaking over here lol its like he must be getting offers left right and centre from every top team in europe i feel for martin o neill tho, the guy is trying his best but its so hard when u dont have that extra player to boost ur squad anyway cant wait 2 see how this whole saga unfolds

omg did u hear abt nottingham forests bid 4 arne engels?? £17m is like a lotta cash fam! i dont get why they didnt just go 4 him in the 1st place lol. he sounds like a sick player tho, 22 & all that jazz... what's up wit augsburg tho? anywayz, celetic seems to be holdin out 4 more signings or sumthin cuz dey r still lookin at 2 more players

OMG just read that Celtic rejected a £17m bid for Arne Engels he's been on fire since joining from Augsburg last year and I totally get why they wanna keep him 89 appearances is insane, right? Interim manager Martin O'Neill is like a genius or what? keeping him on loan for another six months sounds like a solid plan to me. Can't wait to see how the Europa League play-offs go, both Celtic and Forest are gonna give it their all

I'm not surprised they rejected that bid . I mean, Engels has been on fire since he joined Celtic last year and we all know how important midfield players can be in defining a team's style of play . Nottingham Forest are clearly willing to spend big to get him, but Celtic can't just sell their best players whenever someone else comes knocking . I think it's smart for them to keep him on loan for another six months, that way they can assess the season and maybe make a decision then . We'll see what happens next, I'm sure Engels will be worth it in the end .

awww omg engels is like soo good!! i mean, 2-0 win over falkirk and all that! he's literally the reason celtic is doin so well this season! cant blame nottingham forest for tryin though but martin o'Neill knows what he's talkin about, engels is def crucial to their success! hope he gets to stay with celtic 4 another six months tho

I feel for Martin O'Neill, ya know? He's got a good thing goin' with Arne Engels and now he's gotta let him go . I get why Forest wanna snap him up, 'e is pretty talented and all that. But six months on loan just don't seem like enough, innit? It's like leavin' a mate hang out the door without a key . Celtic got lucky last season with Engels comin' in, but now they're losin' 'im and it's gonna be tough to replace 'im. I reckon O'Neill's decision is gonna come back to bite 'em if Forest manage to sign 'im...