€30m Celtic transfer explodes into life with record deal to be announced shortly

Updated: 27 Jun 2026 15:09 BST | 4 min read

Martin O'Neill, Celtic, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Arne Engels's departure from Celtic is looking increasingly inevitable following Manchester City's agreement with Nottingham Forest over a deal for Elliot Anderson.

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The England star is on the verge of becoming the most expensive British player ever, with the Cityzens set to shell out a whopping €134 million (£116m) in guaranteed money to sign the midfielder.

Forest won't get the Premier League record fee of more than €145m they had been hoping for, but this deal nevertheless represents an almighty profit for a player they essentially signed for just €20m from Newcastle after trading him for backup goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Current ETV

Elliot Anderson

M, DM (C)

N. Forest

Elliot Anderson

M, DM (C)

N. Forest

ETV Range

€57.1M - €69.8M

Anderson has completed his Man City medical and should be unveiled shortly, although the World Cup may delay Man City's announcement. Whatever the case, it is a monumental transfer that will have a major knock-on effect this summer.

Forest, naturally, need a replacement now, and they are poised to sign not one but two midfielders. Several targets have been identified, from Tottenham youngster Lucas Bergvall to long-term target Davide Frattesi, currently at Inter.

Forest to step up Engels chase

A third option is Celtic star Engels. Like Frattesi, Forest have been chasing him for some time. In January, the City Ground outfit made numerous offers, with the highest clocking in at around €30m, for the Belgium international, which would have made him the Hoops' record sale.

Celtic held firm at the time, but they will likely have to cash in this summer, with Engels having reportedly already decided to leave the club after two years at Parkhead following his €13m move from Augsburg in 2024.

The versatile midfielder is in demand, and it is not just Forest who are keen to secure his signature. Other Premier League clubs, most notably Crystal Palace, are also said to be in the race to sign the 22-year-old.

Celtic know that Forest will have money to spend after selling Anderson, so they will surely not offer them any kind of discount on Engels, who still has two years left on his contract.

Interestingly, Belgian outlet Walfoot reports that Engels is desperate for a quick deal. He is said to want a full pre-season to be able to properly acclimatise to his next club, which means that an agreement must be reached within the next week or two.

It is added that Tottenham, Fulham, AS Roma, and Atletico Madrid are also in the mix to sign him.

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