Celtic were put under real pressure on transfer deadline day.
There’s a saying that ‘money talks’, but in Celtic’s case it didn’t, as the club stood firm and rejected multiple approaches from Nottingham Forest for Arne Engels.
Whatever the Celtic support’s mixed opinions on Engels may be, he is considered a key figure under Martin O’Neill, who revealed that the bids arrived ‘very, very late.’
This left many inside Celtic Park asking the same question: who actually makes the final call? Is it O’Neill himself? Does it hinge on securing a suitable replacement? Or does the ultimate decision rest with the board?
Martin O’Neill says the Celtic board turned down £25 million offer from Nottingham Forest for Arne Engels
Speaking on talkSPORT just hours after the January transfer window came to a close, O’Neill confirmed it was the Celtic board who rejected the £25 million bid for Engels.
The iconic Celtic manager described the situation as ‘remarkable’, given the scale of the money involved for a Scottish club, with the fee close to a record-breaking sale for the Hoops.
“The board turned it down,” said O’Neill. “Obviously, it has arrived very, very late in the day, and we had these offers coming in.
“I actually did a press conference, just after our game against Falkirk, unaware that there had been an offer gone in.
“I think the press seemed to get to know about it before the club did. It was very late in proceedings, and the board turned them down, which was, considering the amounts of money that you are talking about. That would be very, very big up here, as you know, that was remarkable.”
Celtic’s record sales after Engels bid turned down
Realistically, if a bid anywhere near £25 million comes in during the summer, it’s hard to see Engels remaining at Celtic.
When you examine Celtic’s highest-profile departures, it’s fair to say some would argue he doesn’t quite match the calibre of many players on that list.
Even if Celtic go on to lift the league title, unless Engels suddenly becomes Superman and plays a decisive role in winning the Europa League, that debate is unlikely to disappear, and he will continue to split opinion among supporters.
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