West Ham United have broken the EFL transfer record by paying a £22 million fee to sign Belgium midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic, with the deal potentially rising in excess of £25 million if add-ons are met. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill confirmed the 22-year-old was undergoing a medical after travelling to London.
The five-year contract surpasses the previous EFL record of £17.5 million paid by Ipswich Town for Sindre Walle Egeli. Engels, who scored 17 goals and provided 22 assists in 100 appearances for Celtic after arriving from Augsburg in 2024, won back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles at the Glasgow club. Celtic had rejected multiple bids from Nottingham Forest for the player in January.
Engels will not be available until the home derby against Charlton Athletic on 22 August, missing West Ham's Championship opener at Burnley. He has earned four caps for Belgium.