Celtic have reached an agreement to sign Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels.
The Bhoys sold Matt O’Riley to Brighton last week, and they needed to sign a proper replacement.
Brendan Rodgers previously stated that it won’t be easy to find a like-for-like replacement for O’Riley, but the club will try to make the squad stronger.
Celtic quickly earmarked Engels as their main target. They had two bids rejected, the latest being in the region of £10 million for the 20-year-old.
However, according to Sky Sports, the Hoops have agreed a fee in the region of £11 million for Engels.
This month, Celtic spent around £8.5 million to sign Adam Idah from Norwich; the fee could rise to £9.5 million.
At the moment, the transfer of Odsonne Edouard remains Celtic’s record signing. The Scottish champions paid £9 million to Paris Saint-Germian for Edouard in 2018.
This deal will eclipse the value, and it will make Engels the club’s record signing.
Engels was keen to join the Scottish champions and has already agreed personal terms.
He will now travel to Glasgow to undergo his medical and sign his contract before Friday’s deadline.
Augsburg paid a measly fee of €100,000 to sign Engels from Club NXT in January 2023. So, the German club has made a huge profit from this transfer, and it is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Engels featured 33 times across all competitions, contributing three goals and five assists.
Celtic, meanwhile, have completed the signing of Alex Valle from Barcelona on loan. The young left-back will be a solid back-up option for Greg Taylor.
The Bhoys have been heavily linked with a move for LAFC attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz, but recent reports suggest that they are unlikely to secure his signature.
Celtic have also shown interest in signing Sheffield United centre-back Auston Trusty.
They had an opening offer of around £5 million knocked back, and Celtic will have to submit a better offer to sign him in the next 30 hours.
