They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that was certainly the case with regard to Celtic‘s Arne Engels this season.
Sidelined with a thigh injury between mid-February and early April, the club’s record signing was evidently missed, as Martin O’Neill struggled to settle on a suitable partner for Callum McGregor in the centre of the park.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reo Hatate and Luke McCowan simply weren’t cutting it, with it perhaps no surprise that Engels’ return coincided with a fine end to the campaign, the Belgian starting all five post-split games
It was the 22-year-old’s nerveless spot-kick too that dragged the hosts level at Parkhead on the final day, a further reminder of why the club were wise to shun Nottingham Forest’s £25m bid on deadline day.
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Final seven SPFL games |
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|---|---|---|
|
Rangers |
Celtic |
Hearts |
|
4-2 (W) |
1-2 (W) |
2-2 (D) |
|
3-6 (W) |
1-0 (W) |
3-1 (W) |
|
2-3 (L) |
3-1 (W) |
1-2 (W) |
|
2-1 (L) |
1-2 (W) |
2-1 (W) |
|
3-1 (L) |
3-1 (W) |
1-1 (D) |
|
1-2 (L) |
2-3 (W) |
3-0 (W) |
|
2-5 (W) |
3-1 (W) |
3-1 (L) |
Whether the former Augsburg man does stay put heading into this summer remains to be seen, however, with midfield reinforcements already in the works.
Celtic emerging as favourities to sign new midfielder this summer
From goalkeeper to centre-forward, the Hoops squad needs major surgery heading into next season, with even O’Neill’s delightful double unable to paper over the cracks entirely.
Midfield will be a particular priority, considering the likely raft of departures, with a belated exit for Hatate and Paulo Bernardo seemingly on the cards, while Oxlade-Chamberlain’s deal expires in June.
One name that has been mooted of late is Motherwell star, Elliot Watt, with Celtic seemingly rivalling Rangers for his signature, albeit with no real progress made as yet.
Elsewhere, meanwhile, Hungarian outlet Csakfoci have provided an exciting update regarding ETO FC star, Milan Vitalis, with the 24-year-old potentially in line for a move away this summer.
As per the report, the suggestion is that Celtic are the favourites to snap him up, with the piece noting that the Hoops ‘may sign him’, following a standout season for the Hungarian champions.
This has been corroborated by GOAL, who report that while Aberdeen and Rangers are also in the mix, it is Celtic who are the ‘closest to signing’ the player.
How Vitalis compares to Engels this season
Interest in Vitalis could potentially provide a hint regarding the next permanent manager at Parkhead, with rumours rife that Robbie Keane could be the chosen choice to succeed O’Neill.
The former Republic of Ireland had been working in Hungary over recent seasons, prior to stepping down this month after Ferencvaros missed out on the title to Vitalis’ ETO.
Coincidence or not, it would be no surprise if this is a move being led by Keane, should he be on the way to Glasgow, although regardless, this could well prove a particularly astute deal to do.
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Indeed, Vitalis – who is out of contract at his current side next summer – is fresh off a fine collective and individual season in his homeland, having shone from his midfield berth.
In all, he scored nine goals and provided four assists across his 31 starts, having also created nine ‘big chances’ and averaged a stellar two key passes per game.
For comparison, in the Premiership, Engels enjoyed a far less fruitful campaign in an attacking sense, scoring just five goals and registering only three assists, albeit while starting just 22 times.
Creatively too, the Belgian wasn’t at the same level as his fellow number 27, creating just six ‘big chances’ and averaging only 1.4 key passes per game.
Both men lost the ball 12.3 times per game on average, but Vitalis came out on top with regard to pass accuracy (87% vs 83%), a further tick against his name.
What is also encouraging too, and potentially vital for this Celtic midfield, is the physicality and combative nature that the Hungary international brings to the table, as he also showed this season.
In all, he averaged 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game, while winning 56% of his total duels. For comparison, Engels averaged just 1.5 tackles and interceptions, while winning only 41% of his total duels.
Throw into the mix that Vitalis also has the knack for gliding forward from deep, having bettered Engels again with regard to successful dribbles per game (1.0 vs 0.1), and it’s clear to see that he might well represent a clear upgrade on Celtic’s £11m man.
Celtic working on deal to seal their best signing since Nygren at Parkhead
Another exciting import from Scandinavia could be on his way to Celtic this summer.
