West Ham United have completed the signing of midfielder Arne Engels from Scottish champions Celtic, shattering the EFL transfer record with a £22 million fee. The 22-year-old Belgium international has committed to a five-year contract at the London Stadium, marking a significant investment as the club prepares for its first Championship campaign since 2012.
The transfer fee eclipses the previous record of £17.5 million, which was paid by Ipswich Town last year for Norway forward Sindre Walle Egeli. Engels, who has earned four caps for Belgium, arrives in London following a successful stint in Scotland where he secured back-to-back league titles. He originally joined Celtic from Augsburg in August 2024, having started his professional career at Club Brugge.
During his time at Celtic, the midfielder made 100 appearances, contributing 17 goals and 22 assists. He is the latest high-profile departure from the Scottish club this summer, following Daizen Maeda’s move to Ipswich Town. For West Ham, Engels becomes the fourth summer arrival, joining Keiber Lamadrid, Joel Veltman, and Manor Solomon.
West Ham director of player recruitment Nils Koppen praised the signing, noting that the club had been tracking the midfielder for some time as a primary target. Koppen highlighted Engels’s consistency and confidence at a major club, stating that the player possesses the ideal character and technical traits to support the team’s long-term objectives.
Engels expressed enthusiasm about the move, describing the club’s push for a return to the Premier League as a compelling project. He emphasized his desire to contribute to the team’s success and build a strong connection with the supporters throughout the upcoming season.
Although West Ham begins their league season with an away fixture against Burnley this Sunday, supporters will have to wait to see their new signing in action. Engels is not eligible to debut until the home match against Charlton Athletic, which is scheduled for Saturday, 22 August.
“It’s a really nice project to come into,” he said.
Hopefully it’s going to be a good year.”
“Arne has the right traits, both as a player and as a character, to fit into what we are trying to build moving forward.
He is very motivated to be here for this challenge.”
