West Ham sign Arne Engels for record Championship fee

West Ham Football Club has secured the services of Belgian midfielder Arne Engels from Scottish champions Celtic in a club-record £22 million deal. The 22-year-old has committed to a five-year contract, with an option for an additional year. This represents a significant increase over the previous Championship transfer record of £17.5 million, paid by Ipswich Town for Norwegian forward Sindre Walle Egeli last year.

Engels, who made 100 appearances for Celtic during his two seasons in Scotland, scored 17 goals and provided 23 assists. His performances helped Celtic win back-to-back Premiership titles and achieve 39 direct goal involvements. The Dutch midfielder began his career at Club Brugge and spent 18 months with German Bundesliga side Augsburg before joining Celtic.

In addition to Engels, West Ham has signed Keiber Lamadrid, Joel Veltman, and Manor Solomon during the summer transfer window. The team, relegated from the Premier League in May, begins their Championship campaign on Sunday against Burnley. While Engels did not make the trip to Lancashire, he is expected to make his debut against Charlton Athletic at the London Stadium on August 22nd.