Celtic reject West Ham Engels bid and confirm Johnston interest

Celtic reject West Ham Engels bid and confirm Johnston interest Celtic have turned down a bid from West Ham for Belgium midfielder Arne Engels, manager Martin O’Neill said the offer “doesn't remotely conscionable our valuation”. Engels, 22, joined Celtic from Augsburg in August 2024. O’Neill also revealed that Everton have been in touch regarding Canada full‑back Alistair Johnston, 27. “Everton person been successful contact,” he explained. “I'm not definite whether there's been a bid successful determination for that one, but they've been successful interaction saying that determination would be.” He added that David Moyes called him last week, saying, “In fairness, David Moyes did telephone maine past week to accidental determination would beryllium contact.” A previous approach from Nottingham Forest in February, valued at £25 million, also failed to secure Engels. Johnston, who started all five of Canada’s matches at the World Cup, moved to Celtic from Montreal in January 2023. Describing the interest in both players as “disappointing” but “to beryllium expected”, O’Neill noted that it is “difficult to halt difficult to halt radical if their ambition is to play successful a big, large league”. He continued, “Our occupation is to effort and support them, effort and bash our champion to support them. If that's not possible, people we'll person to effort and get replacements in. To regenerate those players would beryllium a hard task.” This summer Celtic sold Daizen Maeda to Ipswich Town and brought in attacking duo Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran. O’Neill remarked, “I felt that thing would hap with immoderate of our apical players,” and added, “I was hoping arsenic each time goes past that determination wouldn't beryllium immoderate superior interest. But that was ne'er going to happen.” He concluded, “But we request players successful anyway. And we're successful the hunt for that. We're getting close. I don't cognize however adjacent is close, but we are decidedly getting close.”