West Ham United have completed the acquisition of Belgian international midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic, marking a significant investment for the club. The 22-year-old has joined on a five-year deal with an additional optional year, with the Hammers paying £22 million—establishing a new record for a Championship transfer fee.
Engels’ transfer surpasses the previous EFL Championship benchmark of £17.5 million, which Ipswich Town had set when signing Norwegian forward Sindre Walle Egeli in 2025. The midfielder departs Celtic after accumulating 100 appearances, during which he scored 17 goals and provided 23 assists across two seasons. His time at the Scottish club yielded two consecutive league titles and 39 combined goal contributions.
The creative midfielder began his professional career at Club Brugge before spending time in Germany’s Bundesliga with Augsburg. Engels has represented Belgium at international level, earning four caps for his country. His arrival represents West Ham’s fourth addition to their squad this summer, following the signings of Keiber Lamadrid, Joel Veltman, and Manor Solomon.
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League and will contest the Championship for the first time since 2012. The club begins their second-tier campaign away to Burnley on Sunday, though Engels was unable to secure registration in time for that fixture. He is expected to make his debut against Charlton Athletic at home on August 22.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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