Nottingham Forest have made a formal bid to sign the £25m star ahead of Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest are now pushing hard to sign a midfielder to replace Elliot Anderson.
James Perch believes his former club will be out of business, saying: “Trying to replace Elliot Anderson and what he’s doing is going to be very difficult.
“I think it will probably take two players to stop what he is doing because Forest does a lot on that field. But the obvious one I think will be Curtis Jones. I think he is proven. He is an England player. So you don’t take a gamble and hope that he will hit the ground running.”
Sure, signing Jones would make a lot of sense, with the Tricksters plotting an Inter Milan hijack, but the Liverpool midfielder isn’t the only option on the shortlist.
Forest are working hard to ensure that they win the race for Tottenham Hotspur star, Lucas Bergvall, and are also determined to sign Celtic star, Arne Engels, who is yet to prove himself in the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest are stepping up their pursuit of Arne Engels
According to a report from Voetbal Krant (via Sport Witness), Nottingham Forest have now made an official bid for Engels, as they look to beat the likes of Tottenham, Fulham, Atlético Madrid, AS Roma and Villarreal for his signature.
Oliver Glasner’s former club Crystal Palace have also been pushing to sign the Celtic midfielder, but it seems they have been unwilling to pay the £25m asking price so far, which could open the door to a move to the City Ground.
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Football FanCast verdict |
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Honesty |
Forest’s interest in the 22-year-old has been known for some time, but they have now stepped up their bid, having submitted an official offer. The need to sign a new midfielder stems from Anderson’s departure from Man City. |
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Finance |
A fee of £25m wouldn’t break the bank, as Tricky Trees raised £116m by selling the England international. In fact, signing Engels for a fee on that pitch would mean more money to strengthen other areas of the team. |
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Understanding |
The 22-year-old is currently not playing in one of Europe’s top leagues, but has made a name for himself in the Bundesliga before, netting three goals and five assists in 32 appearances for FC Augsburg in the 2023-24 campaign. |
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Impact |
If Forest can get a deal over the line, they could abandon plans to sign Bergvall, who would cost Glasner’s club £50m. |
Why Engels might be Anderson’s strong point
Callum McGregor is a huge fan of his Celtic team-mate, saying: “Maybe people have judged him unfairly based on the price, but I think he is an amazing player who plays with a lot of heart and energy and will always get better because he has the right attitude.
Last season, the Belgian champion created 42 chances in the Scottish Premiership, the third most for Celtic, and has scored 17 goals and provided 21 assists in 98 games for the Glasgow giants.
That suggests the former Augsburg man could replace Anderson in an attacking position, with the Englishman netting four goals and four assists in the Premier League last season.
At 22 years old, Engels is slightly younger than Anderson, which means he could be a long-term replacement for the midfielder, and he has shown that he is ready to test himself in the Premier League.
