Arne Engels, born on 8th September 2003, hails from the flatland pastures of Belgium. At a sturdy build of 6ft (1.84m) in height and weighing in at 11st 2lb (71kg), Engels has made the central midfield position his own at the storied club - Celtic. He dons the significant number 27 jersey and his talent hasn't gone unnoticed beyond Glasgow, as he has also represented the Belgian national team.
According to Transfermarkt, his current market value hovers around a handsome £9.5m. He is contracted to Celtic until 30th June 2028, with 3 years and 8 months remaining on his current deal.
Engels' football journey began in earnest in July 2015 when he joined Club NXT in Belgium's Challenger Pro League as a trainee. The inceptive spark of his career ignited in January 2023 when Engels captured the attentions of Bundesliga side Augsburg, commanding a modest fee of around £100k. He made an impressive 18 first team appearances in the 2022-2023 debut season, followed by 32 appearances and netting three goals in the 2023 - 2024 season. The following season was barely underway before Celtic beckoned in August 2024, pulling Engels from Germany to the salt-tanged air of Scotland, with a transfer fee of approximately £11m.
Since signing for Celtic, Engels has made eight first-team appearances in the 2024-2025 season, finding the back of the net twice in league matches. He also participated in the 2024-2025 League Cup for Celtic, making a solitary start and stepping up from the bench once. Besides club duties, he also represented Belgium in the UEFA U21 Championship Qualifiers 2024 - 2025, where he bagged a couple of goals in six starts. Not to be discounted, Engels also had his name recorded on the score sheet in the Champions League 2024 - 2025 for Celtic, scoring once in four starts.
In a short span, Arne Engels has shown plenty of promise. The young Belgian's future, therefore, can only be likened to the green expanses of Celtic Park: largely untouched and filled with potential. As the Celtic hymn goes, we watch and we wait, for something good.
