Arne Engels: Why West Ham’s £22m arrival could transform Nuno’s midfield

West Ham United have made Arne Engels their fourth summer signing, paying a Championship-record £22m to bring the Belgian midfielder from Celtic as Nuno Espirito Santo rebuilds a depleted engine room.

The Belgium international has signed a five-year contract with the option of another season and was registered in time to make the bench for West Ham's opening 2-2 draw against Burnley.

His arrival comes at a crucial moment. Mateus Fernandes has departed for Tottenham, Edson Alvarez is moving closer to Real Sociedad and Soungoutou Magassa is also keen to leave.

Engels, therefore, has not simply arrived as another addition. He could quickly become one of the most important players in West Ham's promotion push.

West Ham's midfield situation was exposed against Burnley.

Youngsters Lewis Orford and Mohamadou Kante formed the central partnership, with James Ward-Prowse the only other recognised midfielder available in the matchday squad.

Both youngsters have shown promise, but relying on inexperienced players throughout a demanding 46-game Championship season would represent a major gamble.

West Ham's expected style of football has also changed following relegation.

Rather than regularly sitting deeper and attacking opponents through transitions, Nuno's side should encounter more matches where they are expected to dominate possession and break down defensive opponents.

That requires midfielders capable of receiving under pressure, progressing possession and creating chances from deeper areas.

Those are qualities Engels can provide.

Engels already had significant Bundesliga experience with Augsburg as a teenager before joining Celtic in 2024 and taking another major step in his development.

His best role is as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder who can influence possession from deep before moving into advanced areas.

At Celtic, Engels benefited from playing alongside Callum McGregor. The captain provided defensive security while allowing the Belgian greater freedom to advance.

Engels used that licence effectively.

He can carry possession through midfield, operate in tight spaces and play line-breaking passes into attacking players. His physical presence also allows him to compete for possession before immediately turning defensive actions into forward momentum.

Another important feature is his movement without the ball.

Engels regularly makes delayed runs towards the penalty area, giving his team an additional attacking presence rather than simply remaining outside the box.

That combination of creativity, physicality and movement explains why West Ham see similarities between Engels and the departed Fernandes.

One area where Engels could make an immediate difference is from dead-ball situations.

His delivery became an important part of Celtic's attacking game, with the midfielder registering eight assists from corners during their title-winning campaign.

West Ham have the personnel to exploit that ability.

Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman both stand around 6ft 4in, while Taty Castellanos and Joel Piroe provide further physical presence in attacking areas.

Tomas Soucek will eventually add another major aerial threat once he returns from the ankle injury he suffered at the World Cup.

Putting Engels over corners and free-kicks could therefore become one of Nuno's most productive attacking weapons.

Engels can improve West Ham considerably, but the composition of the midfield around him will be crucial.

His partnership with McGregor demonstrated how effective he can be when playing alongside a midfielder willing to handle more defensive responsibility.

Soucek could theoretically perform that job, but he is not expected back until early October.

Kante showed encouraging defensive energy against Burnley and could potentially complement Engels, although asking a young midfielder to immediately provide the foundations for a promotion challenge carries obvious risk.

West Ham may therefore need another defensive midfielder before the window closes.

Giving Engels protection would allow Nuno to maximise his ability to carry the ball forward, create from deeper areas and arrive around the opposition penalty area.

Engels could make his West Ham debut against Charlton Athletic this weekend, but his long-term impact may depend partly on what the club does during the final weeks of the transfer market.

If Nuno can find the right defensive partner alongside him, Engels has the technical quality, physicality and creativity to become the heartbeat of West Ham's midfield.

At £22m, expectations will inevitably be high. But if Engels helps deliver an immediate Premier League return, that Championship-record investment could quickly look justified.

Is Arne Engels the midfielder who can drive West Ham back into the Premier League, or do the Hammers still need another major signing alongside him? Have your say.