Celtic have taken their time to get going in the summer transfer window but their business appears to be picking up pace with the deadline set to pass at the end of the month.
The Hoops had signed Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, and Paulo Bernardo on permanent deals to bolster Brendan Rodgers' options, with two new goalkeepers and a central midfielder, who was on loan from Benfica last season.
They have now added to that with a £9.5m deal to bring Adam Idah back to the club on a permanent basis, after he spent the second half of last term on loan from Norwich City.
The Scottish giants have agreed to pay an initial fee of £8.5m to land the Ireland international, with a further £1m in add-ons and a 15% sell-on clause for the Canaries.
He scored eight goals in 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership last season, and popped up with a 90th-minute winner in the League Cup final against Rangers at Hampden Park, with his performances convincing the club to pursue his services on a long-term basis.
After this swoop for Idah, the reigning league champions are also reportedly looking at a potential addition to their midfield ranks this month.
Celtic eyeing Bundesliga starlet
According to FootballTransfers, the Hoops are interested in a potential deal to sign Augsburg central midfielder Arne Engels before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the 20-year-old starlet has emerged as a priority target for the Scottish giants, who would like to bring him to Glasgow.
It states that Rodgers wants to improve the quality of his options in the middle of the park and has identified the young talent as someone who could come in and provide competition for places.
The outlet adds that Engels is now a top target for Celtic between now and the deadline passing at the end of this month, but it does not say whether or not they have made contact with Augsburg to discuss a transfer.
FootballTransfers does not outline how much the Bundesliga side would want for the midfielder but does place his Expected Transfer Value (xTV), per their own player valuation system, at up to €11.9m (£10m).
It now remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops will be able to get a deal over the line for their priority target before the end of the window. Rodgers could, though, land his next version of Reo Hatate by bringing Engels to Parkhead.
Reo Hatate's midfield excellence
The Japan international is an impressive central midfielder who has the quality to push further up the pitch to make contributions as a scorer and a creator of goals in the final third.
His 2023/24 campaign was riddled with injury issues, missing 40 games for club and country with hamstring and calf problems, but he has made a strong start to the current season.
Hatate has scored one goal and created one 'big chance' for his teammates in two appearances in the Premiership so far this term, as Celtic have won both of their opening games without conceding a goal.
Last season, the 26-year-old maestro racked up three goals and four assists in 12 top-flight starts for Rodgers' side, which means that he averaged a direct goal contribution more than once every other start on average.
His attacking qualities were on full display in the 2022/23 campaign, prior to his injury struggles, as the central midfielder caught the eye with his impressive displays for the Scottish giants.
Appearances
32
Goals
6
Assists
8
Big chances created
10
Key passes per game
1.3
As you can see in the table above, the Japanese dynamo produced 16 goals and 'big chances' created combined in 32 appearances for the Premiership champions.
These statistics, from the last two seasons and the start to the current term, show that Hatate is a dynamic midfielder who can influence matches by getting forward to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.
Whilst he remains the first-choice in his position and is very much a key player for Celtic, having started both league games so far, Rodgers could secure his future heir by landing Engels.
Why Engels could be the next Hatate
Firstly, the Augsburg midfielder is only due to turn 21 next month and is in the early stages of his career. This means that he is a young talent with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years to come.
Rodgers could bring him in to play a rotation role initially, which would allow him to get game time across all competitions whilst learning from the likes of Hatate, Callum McGregor, and, hopefully, Matt O'Riley, in training and in matches.
However, Engels is not a young player who would come in with no experience and no track record of performing at a high level in a first-team environment, as he played 32 matches in the German top-flight last term, and started 18 times in the 2022/23 campaign.
Last season, the Belgian whiz, who was described as a "revelation" by Bundesliga pundit Ronan Murphy, did not start games regularly but did chip in with moments of quality when called upon.
Appearances
32
Starts
13
Goals
3
Assists
2
Ground duel success rate
52%
As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder was directly involved in five goals in 13 starts and held his own in physical duels on the ground, despite his young age and inexperience.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Engels averaged 1.3 key passes per game and created four 'big chances' in 18 appearances in the Bundesliga, which shows that he can be a creative threat from midfield, just like Hatate.
The £10m-rated Hoops target ranked within the top 19% of midfielders in the division for assists per 90 (0.19) and the top 24% for shot-creating actions per 90 (2.94).
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These statistics show that the talented youngster has the potential to be an impactful midfielder who can push forward from a number eight role to make things happen offensively, which is why he could develop into the next Hatate for Rodgers at Parkhead.