Celtic supervisor Martin O’Neill says he’s upset to be shedding Arne Engels to West Ham, however accepts it’s a transfer he has to make.
The Hoops rejected a £25m bid from Nottingham Forest for the Belgium worldwide within the winter switch window and Engels was eager for a transfer to English soccer.
Talking at a media convention forward of Saturday’s Scottish League Cup second-round tie towards Dundee United, O’Neill mentioned: “West Ham needed him to be obtainable for the opening day of the season. Naturally upset, actually, that he is leaving the soccer membership, he is finished very properly for us.
“And it is onerous to dissuade him of that. If it hadn’t come up, I feel he’d have been completely satisfied. Regardless that the provide got here in very late from Nottingham Forest in January, he by no means moaned about it in any respect.
“So it is a chance for him and it is actually onerous for him to show it down.”
Arne Engels joined Celtic for £11m in 2024
Engels strikes forward of Celtic’s Champions League play-off first leg towards LASK subsequent Wednesday however O’Neill understood why Engels was eager to finish the switch, particularly after Alistair Johnston suffered a leg muscle harm amid curiosity from Everton.
“Ideally, I might love him to have stayed and perhaps accomplished after the 2 video games,” mentioned the 74-year-old, who’s totally again to work after a medical process final week.
“It in all probability wasn’t going to occur. You’ve got obtained a priority, I suppose, with the truth that Alistair performed for us when there was a proposal on the desk, damage himself, perhaps issues like that there could disappear.
“I suppose Arne was in all probability apprehensive the identical kind of factor would possibly occur. From a enjoying viewpoint, I in all probability can perceive that.”
Alistair Johnston picked up the harm in Celtic’s Premiership win at Kilmarnock
Canada right-back Johnston went off at half-time in Celtic’s 5-1 win at Kilmarnock on Sunday.
“He’ll be out for just a few weeks,” O’Neill mentioned. “By the point he is match, he’ll be previous the switch deadline. He is been very stoic about it, actually.
“It is a disgrace for him however it’s not long-term. It is one thing that he’ll recover from and he’ll be again.”
Celtic signed Egypt winger Haissem Hassan and Germany Underneath-21 midfielder Mika Baur this week and O’Neill expects additional arrivals.
Mika Baur has joined Celtic from Paderborn
One might be Chelsea left-back Landon Emenalo as a mortgage back-up to Kieran Tierney after the 18-year-old was given a tour of Celtic’s Lennoxtown coaching centre this week.
“I feel he is a extremely superb younger participant,” O’Neill mentioned. “Clearly we want that place coated. Kieran did exceptionally properly final season, having been plagued with accidents at Arsenal. He got here roaring again, which was nice.
“And this younger man has undoubtedly obtained expertise. He is obtained a little bit of an harm in the mean time. We’re hoping that that can clear up shortly. And if it does, and I feel it would, I might like to have him.”