West Ham agree £22m Arne Engels deal as Celtic sanction exit

West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Arne Engels after Celtic accepted a £22 million offer for the Belgium international.

The Hammers have been searching for another midfielder following Mateus Fernandes' move to Tottenham Hotspur and have now made a breakthrough after seeing two previous offers for Engels rejected.

The 22-year-old is set to undergo a medical in London as West Ham work to complete what would be a record-breaking Championship transfer.

According to Sky Sports, Celtic have accepted West Ham's latest £22m proposal for Engels.

The Scottish champions had reportedly hoped to receive around £25m, but the midfielder's desire to make the move helped bring negotiations towards a conclusion.

West Ham's successful proposal was their third bid for the Belgian, who also attracted interest from Nottingham Forest earlier in the year.

Engels will now undergo the remaining formalities before completing his switch to the London Stadium.

However, the timing means he may not be registered and ready to feature in West Ham's Championship opener against Burnley on Sunday.

The £22m agreement would make Engels the most expensive signing ever made by a Championship club.

The existing record belongs to Burnley, who paid £20.5m for Florentino earlier this summer due to a clause in his loan agreement before subsequently selling him to Ipswich Town.

It would not be a West Ham club record, however.

That remains the approximately £42m paid for Mateus Fernandes when the midfielder arrived from Southampton in 2025.

Fernandes' subsequent move to Tottenham created a major vacancy in Nuno Espirito Santo's midfield, and West Ham have moved to fill it with one of Celtic's leading players.

Engels would become another important addition during a busy period for Nuno and transfer chief Nils Koppen.

West Ham have already completed the signing of Manor Solomon from Tottenham for an initial £5m, while Fernandes and Freddie Potts have departed.

Lewis Orford and Mohamadou Kante started the Carabao Cup victory over Portsmouth, with Edson Alvarez also returning to the side after spending last season away on loan.

Adding Engels would provide Nuno with another established midfield option as West Ham attempt to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

West Ham's spending may not finish with the Belgian.

The Hammers remain interested in Axel Disasi, who impressed during his loan spell at the London Stadium last season.

Chelsea reportedly value the centre-back at around £25m, meaning West Ham could potentially break the Championship transfer record for a second time this summer if they complete that deal.

Celtic, meanwhile, are already considering how to replace Engels.

They have signed Mika Baur from Paderborn, while Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis is among the other names being considered alongside Niko Sigur and Ermin Mahmic.

Engels is expected to travel through the final stages of the transfer process, with his medical and contract formalities now standing between him and a move to West Ham.

Whether the deal can be completed quickly enough for Sunday's Championship opener against Burnley remains uncertain. West Ham can then turn their attention towards further additions, with Disasi another major target before the window closes.