Celtic Reject Forest's £17m Bid for Star Midfielder

Celtic has rejected a second offer from Nottingham Forest for midfielder Arne Engels. The English club's latest bid reportedly reached around £17 million, following an initial offer of £14 million, both of which were turned down.

Engels, a 22-year-old Belgian international, transferred to Celtic for £11 million from German side Augsburg in August 2024. He has since made 89 appearances for the Scottish club, contributing to their Scottish Premiership and League Cup triumphs last season.

Interim manager Martin O'Neill emphasized his wish to keep Engels. When questioned about the bid after Celtic's recent 2-0 victory, O'Neill stated his unawareness of any offer during the game and stressed his preference for retaining the player, suggesting only an exceptionally high bid would prompt the board to consider a sale.

Both Celtic and Nottingham Forest are actively participating in the Europa League play-offs scheduled for this month. Celtic currently sits second in the Premiership, while Forest occupies 17th place in the Premier League.