Celtic were hit and miss this week as news emerged that Daizen Maeda will play for Ipswich Town in the Premier League next season.
The Japanese-born player received a £10m fee from the Scottish Premiership champions, as the Hoops chose to invest in him with one year remaining on his contract.
Maeda, who scored 14 league goals last season, may not be the only player to leave Martin O'Neill's squad before the end of the transfer window.
West Ham United, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, and Tottenham Hotspur are all eyeing a move to sign Arne Engels from Parkhead.
Celtic want a fee of around £25m for the Belgium international, however, and it remains to be seen whether any of those English clubs are willing to pay that fee.
How Arne Engels became a success at Celtic
Eyebrows were raised when Celtic decided to break their transfer record to sign Engels from Augsburg for £11m in the summer of 2024, having started 13 of 32 Bundesliga games in the 2023/24 campaign.
The Belgian star has started 47 league games in two seasons with the Hoops, however, as Brendan Rodgers and O'Neill have both given him regular minutes in the middle of the park.
He didn't play often enough for Augsburg in the Bundesliga to show the range of his skills in midfield, which is why he emerged from Glasgow as a regular starter in the Premiership.
|
Engels (Prime Minister) |
24/25 |
25/26 |
|---|---|---|
|
It starts |
25 |
22 |
|
Goals |
9 |
5 |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
11 |
6 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.7 |
1.4 |
|
It helps |
6 |
3 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
49% |
38% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
49% |
50% |
A return of 14 goals and 17 'big chances' created in two league seasons has drawn interest from a group of Premier League clubs, and could see the club bankroll a £14m profit if either team meets their £25m price tag this summer.
The Scottish giants hit the jackpot on this 22-year-old player because they were willing to go through while he was playing in Germany, as they saw the ability he has, and give him a platform to shine on the field.
Celtic are stepping up for the next Arne Engels
Now, the club are said to be eyeing a possible move to Parkhead to follow in Engels' footsteps ahead of the 2026/27 campaign which starts next month.
Amidst reports that the Hoops have agreed an £11m deal and the addition of signing Kasper Hogh from Bodo/Glimt, they will not stop there in their pursuit of new additions. Indeed, Football Insider reports that Celtic are also interested in a deal to sign Lazio winger Matteo Cancellieri to strengthen their options going forward in the summer transfer window.
The outlet claims the Hoops will step up their pursuit of a left-winger to add more quality to their forward line, with Maeda now on his way out of Glasgow.
It adds that Lazio are currently valued at around £13m (£12.8m) for the 24-year-old attacker, but are willing to accept an offer less than that, however it remains to be seen how much it will cost to sign him.
|
Celtic target file |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
The Chancellor |
|
Age |
24 |
|
Current club |
Lazio |
|
Preferred foot |
On the left |
|
Preferred location |
The right wing |
|
The national team |
Italy |
|
International caps |
1 |
The Italian could end up being one of Celtic's club record signings if he costs more than the £11m they spent on Engels, but less than £12.8m, and he would arrive in the same position in Belgium.
Cancellieri started just 21 of Lazio's 38 Serie A games in the 2025/26 campaign, after starting 19 times last season, and was not a regular starter on the right.
The left-footed striker has still shown high quality at the other end of the pitch in his limited minutes, however, as he has scored four goals, created three 'big' chances and two assists in the league.
He has plenty of experience in his young career, playing 125 times in Serie A, but has yet to emerge as a regular starter in any of his moves, which is where Celtic could step in to help him fulfill his potential.
The 24-year-old's form at academy level shows the kind of quality he has the potential to bring, having scored 19 goals in 23 games for Roma U17s, and 17 goals in 23 games for Hellas Verona keepers.
So Celtic could hit the mark like they did with Engels if they could give Cancellieri the chance to play week in and week out for a dominant Premiership title contender, as that could help him emerge as a goalscorer at the highest level.
That's why it would be good to shell out a club-record fee for the Italy international, even if that's close to the £13m Lazio want, or even less, as he would be a fantastic addition to the squad.
