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Celtic Reject £25m Nottingham Forest Bid as Board Blocks Arne Engels Sale

Celtic opted to keep Arne Engels, prioritizing stability over a late £25m approach.

Overview

  • Nottingham Forest saw three offers turned down for the 22-year-old, with the final package reported as £20m plus £5m in add-ons before the deadline.
  • Manager Martin O'Neill said the board rejected the bids without consulting him and described the final offer as "really tempting" but ultimately the right call.
  • O'Neill had earlier insisted any offer should be rebuffed unless it was around £100m and indicated the situation could be reassessed in the summer.
  • Engels remains at Parkhead for the rest of the season and, per O'Neill, did not push for a move despite the late approach.
  • Celtic reinforced on deadline day with loan deals for Junior Adamu, Joel Mvuka and Benjamin Arthur, and O'Neill confirmed talks with free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.