West Ham have made Arne Engels the most expensive signing in Championship history after completing a £22m move for the Celtic midfielder.
The Belgium international has agreed a five-year contract with the Hammers, who are preparing for their first season in the second tier since 2012 following relegation from the Premier League in May.
The fee surpasses the previous Championship record of £17.5m, paid by Ipswich Town for Norway international Sindre Walle Egeli last summer.
Engels will not be able to make his West Ham debut immediately, however, meaning he will miss Sunday’s opening-day trip to Burnley.
His first opportunity is likely to come against Charlton Athletic at London Stadium on August 22.
The 22-year-old arrives after two seasons at Celtic, where he helped the club win consecutive Scottish Premiership titles.
Engels made 100 appearances for the Glasgow giants, scoring 17 goals and providing 22 assists, after joining from Augsburg in August 2024. He previously came through the academy at Club Brugge.
Engles caps busy summer in East London
He becomes West Ham’s fourth signing of the summer, following Venezuela midfielder Keiber Lamadrid, Dutch defender Joel Veltman and Israel winger Manor Solomon.
West Ham’s director of player recruitment Nils Koppen believes Engels fits the profile the club are looking for as they attempt to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
“Arne is someone we have followed for some time and identified as a key target,” Koppen told the club website.
“Despite his age, he already has considerable experience and has shown that he can perform consistently at a major club.
“He has the qualities, both on the pitch and as a person, that we want as we build for the future.”
Engels has won four caps for Belgium and is relishing the challenge of helping West Ham escape the Championship.
“It’s a really exciting project to be part of,” he said.
“The main objective is to get back to the Premier League. That’s what everyone wants.
“Now it’s down to me to help the team achieve that, and hopefully we can have a really good season together with the supporters.”
