Brendan Rodgers returned to Celtic to replace Ange Postecoglou in the Parkhead dugout last year, beginning his second term with the Scottish giants.
Between 2016 and 2019, the Northern Irish manager led the team to six domestic titles, including back-to-back trebles.
When Rodgers returned, he faced some early challenges, losing his first League Cup match and finishing last in the team’s Champions League group.
However, a strong second half of the season saw the Hoops win the Scottish Premiership title as well as the SFA Cup, adding to Celtic’s trophy collection.
After collecting those two pieces of silverware at the end of last season, the board opted to back Rodgers during the summer transfer window in an attempt to move the club to the next level.
The Scottish giants swooped to sign Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, Paulo Bernardo, Adam Idah, Alex Valle, and Auston Trusty to bolster the squad in a number of positions.
Their move to buy center midfielder Engels from Augsburg was especially intriguing, given the reported fee paid for the young talent.
How much did Celtic pay for Arne Engels
According to reports, Celtic paid a stunning £11 million to recruit the Belgium international from the Bundesliga side, setting a club record.
When questioned if the price tag will potentially weigh him down in Glasgow, Engels stated that he simply wants to “enjoy” his sport and does not pay much heed to the money paid to get him to Parkhead.
The 21-year-old sensation arrived in Scotland after scoring three goals and providing two assists in 32 appearances and 14 starts in the Bundesliga during the 2023/24 season.
Engels came in as a young player with no prior experience of Scottish football and has still managed to hit the ground running with his performances for Celtic.
He has now scored two goals and provided three assists in seven appearances across all competitions for the Hoops, all of which have come in his past six.
The Belgian teenager still has a long way to go to justify the club’s record fee for him, but he has had a fantastic start to life in Scotland, and Rodgers will be hoping that this trend continues so that his value may rise above £11 million in the future.
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