Sunderland have reportedly submitted an enquiry for Celtic midfielder Arne Engels as interest in the Belgian continues to grow.
According to the Sunderland Echo, the Premier League side have made a move to find out more about the 22-year-old’s situation ahead of the summer window.
It comes at a time when Engels is already attracting attention from across Europe.
Nottingham Forest saw a bid worth up to £25million rejected by Celtic in January, with the Parkhead club standing firm rather than weakening the squad late in the window. That figure now feels like the starting point for any serious conversation around the midfielder, not the ceiling.
Sunderland are not alone in keeping tabs on him.
That level of interest is no surprise.
Engels arrived in Glasgow as a major investment, and while his second season had some ups and downs, his profile is obvious. He is young, already capped by Belgium, physically strong, and able to play in more than one midfield role.
Clubs in England and Italy will look at that and see a player who could develop further.
For Celtic, though, selling Engels this summer would only make sense if the money was too good to turn down. Martin O’Neill has just been confirmed as permanent manager, and the squad already needs work before Champions League qualifying.
Losing one of the club’s most valuable midfielders would create another problem in a window that is already shaping up to be busy.
There is also the wider market point.
If Sunderland, Forest or anyone else want Engels, Celtic should point straight back to January. They rejected £25million once, and the interest around the player has only grown since then.
That puts the club in a strong position.
Engels is under contract, has room to improve, and plays in an area of the pitch where Celtic cannot afford to weaken unless there is a serious plan behind it.
An enquiry is not a bid, and it does not mean a move is close.
But with Sunderland now reportedly joining the list of clubs looking at Engels, Celtic may soon find out just how far that interest is willing to go.
