I watched Arne Engels on day he proved he's Celtic class - 4 clues he's the perfect O'Riley replacement

Arne Engels is technically good enough to step straight into Matt O'Riley's shoes - and enough of an all-rounder to fill the massive void left by the Dane.

That's the view of German football insider Derek Rae who thinks Celtic would be getting one of German football's best kept secrets if they pursue a deal for the Belgian. Record Sport understand Engels is near the top of the Hoops' list of priorities should O'Riley leave, something that is looking increasingly likely with Brighton ready to launch a bid that would shatter the Scottish transfer record.

A large chunk of that £25m+ windfall would go on securing his replacement and 20-year-old Engels is the profile they are looking for - good enough to make an instant impact on the first-team, but with enough scope for growth that it makes financial sense too. He wouldn't come cheap with talk Augsburg want around £10m for their key man but the Parkhead board and Brendan Rodgers' dealmakers wouldn't baulk at that, with an understanding that replacing O'Riley won't happen on the cheap.

Broadcaster Rae however believes he may prove to be well worth that outlay. He watched his debut against Borussia Dortmund in January 2023, where Engels was thrown straight into the engine room. Up against a rising Jude Bellingham, he held his own with an assist in a thriller his side eventually lost 4-3. And Rae believes he's only gone from strength to strength since then.

He told The Herald: "I remember the first time I watched Engels was at Borussia Dortmund, which would have been around 18 months ago at the beginning of 2023. Augsburg had just signed the player and decided to just throw him into the starting XI. He was a young player who had just signed from Belgium at Club Brugge, and they