Nottingham Forest Submit Third Bid for European Midfielder

Nottingham Forest Submit Third Bid for European Midfielder

Nottingham Forest remains intent on securing a deal for Celtic midfielder Arne Engels. The Premier League side has sent a third bid worth up to £25m, with Anthony Joseph reporting that the Reds are offering £20m up front and £5m in add-ons.

The Reds remain in hot pursuit of a midfielder ahead of the deadline, having seen a previous bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney rejected. Celtic rejected a previous bid in the region of £17m for Engels, though Forest appears adamant about getting their man.

Making the Step Up?

The 22-year-old has made 37 appearances for Celtic this season and was a standout performer in their crucial Europa League victory over FC Utrecht in midweek. The Belgian international had an astounding debut campaign at the club, claiming 10 goals and 13 assists in all competitions.

Engels helped Celtic achieve the Scottish Premiership and League Cup double in the 2024/2025 season. A versatile option, he has been utilized in both midfield and forward roles for Celtic, though notably flourishing in the holding midfield role.

Engels would provide strong cover and extra quality to the Forest midfield, which lacks depth, though he will face competition from both Eliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare as the recognized midfield partnership.

Nottingham Forest have made a third bid for Celtic midfielder Arne Engels worth up to £25m 💰🚨 pic.twitter.com/8AnRtS7UlP

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2026

It will be interesting to see if Engels can adapt to Premier League football if the deal goes through, notably joining a Forest team in a dogfight under Sean Dyche. We have already seen former Celtic midfielder Matthew O'Riley struggle to make an impact for Brighton and has since been sent on loan to Ligue 1 side Marseille.

Though Celtic will have an extra few hours to find a replacement for Engels, with the Scottish transfer set to close at 11 pm , they have insisted that the Belgian is not for sale, and it would be no surprise if this deal failed to materialize ahead of the deadline.