Celtic have never been a club to shy away from cashing in on their best players and attempting to replace them in the transfer market over the years.
The Hoops have an excellent track record of selling stars for big-money and being able to find excellent replacements for them with bargain deals for young talent.
Matt O’Riley
Brighton
£25m+
Jota
Al-Ittihad
£25m
Kieran Tierney
Arsenal
£25m
Moussa Dembele
Lyon
£19.7m
Odsonne Edouard
Crystal Palace
£18.5m
As you can see in the table above, Celtic have made some significant sales, particularly in recent years with Jota and Matt O’Riley, but they have always managed to find the next star to step up.
Last summer, Brendan Rodgers had to watch on as Brighton & Hove Albion secured a deal to sign O’Riley for more than £25m, but that money allowed the club to go and splash the cash on his replacement.
The Scottish Premiership giants reportedly smashed their club-record transfer fee to sign Belgium international Arne Engels from Augsburg for a fee of £11m.
Celtic have hit the jackpot with Arne Engels
It was a big gamble to spend that kind of money on a player who had yet to enjoy a proper breakthrough season at senior level as a consistent starter.
During his time with Augsburg, Engels never started more than 18 games in a single league season and only started 13 of his 32 appearances in the Bundesliga during the 2023/24 campaign.
This meant that Celtic were gambling on him being able to hit the ground running with the drop from one of Europe’s major leagues to the Premiership, and that gamble has paid off.
Engels has racked up ten goals and 12 assists in 43 appearances for the Scottish giants in all competitions, establishing himself as a regular starter in the middle of the park.
Appearances (starts)
32 (13)
27 (18)
Goals
3
9
Big chances created
1
11
Assists
2
5
Key passes per game
0.6
1.7
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.5
0.9
Dribbled past per game
0.5x
0.3x
As you can see in the table above, playing in the Premiership has allowed Engels to showcase the best of his qualities in possession, providing a far greater threat at the top end of the pitch from a central midfield position.
This shows that the Hoops hit the jackpot by signing the Belgium international for £11m last summer, because their gamble has paid off and they now have a terrific, young, midfield player for years to come.
Celtic could, now, repeat the masterclass they have played with the 21-year-old maestro by swooping to sign one of his former teammates, Elvis Rexhbecaj.
Celtic make contact to sign Bundesliga ace
According to Fussball Transfers, the Scottish Premiership leaders are one of a number of clubs eyeing up a deal to sign the Augsburg central midfielder at the end of the season.
The summer transfer window is only a few months away from officially opening for business and the Hoops have seemingly already put plans in motion to bolster their squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Fussball Transfers claims that Rexhbecaj is contemplating his options ahead of the summer transfer window, as he is torn between staying at Augsburg and trying a new adventure abroad.
The report states that Celtic, Parma, and Besiktas have all made enquiries about a potential deal to sign the Kosovo international this year, and that they are all ‘knocking on the door’ to land his signature.
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It also reveals that Augsburg have been trying to extend his contract, which is due to expire in the summer of 2026, but have not been able to reach an agreement with the 27-year-old star.
Valued at £3m by Transfermarkt, Celtic must now continue to pursue a deal for the experienced midfield ace to bolster their squad, as he could be a repeat of Arne Engels at Parkhead.
Why Elvis Rexhbecaj could be Arne Engels 2.0
The Kosovo international could come in and be a quality addition to the group because his performance levels could increase as a result of the drop down to the Premiership from the Bundesliga, as was the case with his former teammate.
He is already, as aforementioned, an international player and Rexhbecaj showcased his tenacity out of possession and his composure and quality on the ball in the space of a few seconds when he scored his first goal for Kosovo against Iceland last week, as shown in the clip below.
The box-to-box midfield star, who has racked up 179 appearances in the Bundesliga throughout his career, is not known for his goalscoring, though, as he is more of a combative operator in the middle of the park.
Unlike Engels last season, the experienced ace has also been a regular starter for Augsburg in the Bundesliga this term – starting all 20 of his appearances in the division.
Appearances (starts)
32 (12)
25 (24)
Goals
3
2
xA
1.75
1.34
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.5
2.0
Ball recoveries per game
1.9
5.4
Ground duel success rate
52%
54%
Aerial duel success rate
36%
51%
As you can see in the table above, they offered a fairly similar threat at the top end of the pitch but the Kosovan maestro was significantly more impressive out of possession.
The Celtic transfer target, who has made 2.0 tackles and interceptions and 3.8 ball recoveries per game in the current Bundesliga campaign, is a midfielder who can offer defensive security whilst also chipping in with the odd goal contribution.
If Engels’ attacking contributions can soar the way they did after his move to Parkhead, Rexhbecaj could enjoy a similar jump in his performances to deliver brilliant box-to-box midfield displays.
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Therefore, the Kosovo international could be Engels 2.0 as another Augsburg central midfielder to come over from the Bundesliga to strut their stuff in Glasgow.