Shocking News:Ange let “gifted” Celtic star leave for £0, now he’s outscoring Engels
As Matt O’Riley packed his bags for Brighton at the climax of the window, those of a Celtic persuasion may well have been fearing the worst for the season ahead, with the Old Firm giants having lost such an influential figure in the heart of the midfield.
The former MK Dons playmaker had been simply masterful in 2023/24 after registering 19 goals and 18 assists in just 49 games in all competitions, taking his total tally for the club to 62 goals and assists in 124 outings.
A £25m talent such as that is hard to replace, not least for a fraction of the cost, but to the Hoops’ credit, they do look to have recruited effectively in order to fill that creative void.
To steal a phrase from Moneyball, Brendan Rodgers and co appear to have replaced the Denmark international ‘in the aggregate’, rather than with one sole purchase, bringing in three permanent additions in those attacking midfield berths in the form of Luke McCowan, Paulo Bernardo and Arne Engels.
Despite a shaky showing away at Ross County last time out – in which the Belgian was hooked on the hour mark as the visitors trailed – it has been a particularly solid start to life in Glasgow for that man, Engels.
Arne Engels’ start at Celtic
As stated, the former Augsburg starlet – who signed on a club-record £11m deal in the wake of O’Riley’s exit – was far from at his best last time out, having notably squandered possession on 15 occasions in what was a rather anonymous showing.
That said, from just seven appearances for the club thus far, the 21-year-old boasts a promising return of two goals and three assists in all competitions – a fine way to begin repaying that sizeable transfer fee.
Arne-Engels-Celtic
That haul of five goal involvements places Engels alongside the likes of Alistair Johnston and Callum McGregor among the Celtic ranks, with the club captain notably also starring in the midfield, with four goals and one assist thus far.
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