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West Ham United have completed the signing of Belgium international midfielder Arne Engels for a Championship-record fee. The 22-year-old arrives at the London Olympic Stadium in a record-breaking £22million switch from Scottish outfit Celtic, making him the most expensive player ever signed by a club in the second tier of English football. The transfer represents a significant investment by the club as Nuno Espirito Santo looks to assemble a squad capable not only of securing an immediate return to the Premier League, but of competing at the top level once promotion has been achieved. Engels arrives in east London with considerable experience despite his relatively young age. The Belgian came through the academy at Club Brugge before moving to Germany, where he made more than 50 appearances for Augsburg as a teenager. He subsequently joined Celtic in January 2024 and established himself as an important member of the Scottish champions' midfield. During his time in Glasgow, Engels made 100 appearances in all competitions, winning two Scottish Premiership titles and gaining valuable Champions League and Europa League experience. Last season he scored five league goals and supplied three assists, while his ability to cover ground, carry the ball and deliver dangerous set-pieces made him an influential figure in Celtic's midfield. The player is clearly excited by the opportunity to continue his career with West Ham. "I'm very excited to play for West Ham," Engels said following confirmation of the move. "It feels amazing to be here, I'm delighted and I can't wait to get started. "It's a really nice project to come into, to try and get back to the Premier League. That's the big goal, I think that's everybody's goal and it's up to me to hopefully help the team with it and get some wins. "Hopefully, we'll see that it's going to be a good year then and I'm looking forward to the next ones." Head Coach Espirito Santo had previously refused to discuss Engels while the transfer was being negotiated, insisting that he would only comment once the player had officially signed. "I'm not going to answer that. It's about respect – I will only speak when a player has signed for us," the manager said on Friday when asked about the club's pursuit of the midfielder. However Head of Recruitment Nils Koppen was delighted to wax lyrical about his latest acquisition. “We are really pleased to have secured Arne’s signing - he is a player we have been tracking for some time as a key target," he confirmed. "For a player who is still very young with his best years in front of him, he has very good experience and has established himself at a big club, showing consistency and confidence. "Again, we believe Arne has the right traits, both as a player and as a character, to fit into what we are trying to build moving forward. He is very motivated to be here for this challenge, and we are excited to see him develop." West Ham fans are looking forward to Engels bringing his trademark energy, technical quality, creativity and set-piece expertise to a midfield which has lacked invention at times in recent months. More importantly, at just 22, he has the potential to grow alongside the club. Signed too late to appear at Turf Moor on Sunday, Engels should make his Hammers debut against Charlton Athletic in Stratford next weekend. * Something to say about this story? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.