West Ham have made Arne Engels the most expensive signing in Championship history after completing a �22m move for the Celtic midfielder. The Belgium international has agreed a five-year contract with the Hammers, who are preparing for their first season in the second tier since 2012 following relegation from the Premier League in May.The fee surpasses the previous Championship record of �17.5m, paid by Ipswich Town for Norway international Sindre Walle Egeli last summer.Engels will not be able to make his West Ham debut immediately, however, meaning he will miss Sundays opening-day trip to Burnley. His first opportunity is likely to come against Charlton Athletic at London Stadium on August 22.The 22-year-old arrives after two seasons at Celtic, where he helped the club win consecutive Scottish Premiership titles.Engels made 100 appearances for the Glasgow giants, scoring 17 goals and providing 22 assists, after joining from Augsburg in August 2024. He previously came through the academy at Club Brugge.Engles caps busy summer in East LondonHe becomes West Hams fourth signing of the summer, following Venezuela midfielder Keiber Lamadrid, Dutch defender Joel Veltman and Israel winger Manor Solomon.West Hams director of player recruitment Nils Koppen believes Engels fits the profile the club are looking for as they attempt to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.Arne is someone we have followed for some time and identified as a key target, Koppen told the club website.Despite his age, he already has considerable experience and has shown that he can perform consistently at a major club.He has the qualities, both on the pitch and as a person, that we want as we build for the future.Engels has won four caps for Belgium and is relishing the challenge of helping West Ham escape the Championship.Its a really exciting project to be part of, he said.The main objective is to get back to the Premier League. Thats what everyone wants.Now its down to me to help the team achieve that, and hopefully we can have a really good season together with the supporters. Topics West Ham United F.C. Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read The Championship on TV: Full list for the first half of 2026/27 Ben Miller 14th August, 2026 How to watch the Premier League 2026/27: Full details of TV channel, confirmed online streams to follow English football Ben Miller 12th August, 2026 Carabao Cup draw: Chelsea face Luton as Spurs host Charlton and West Brom visit Newcastle in second round Cian Cheesbrough 10th August, 2026 West Ham sign Manor Solomon from Spurs Cian Cheesbrough 10th August, 2026 Revealed: The top 10 most expensive Premier League signings of all time adjusted for inflation Ben Miller 27th July, 2026 Pre season friendly matches today: Reports, results, goals from across Europe Ben Miller 26th July, 2026
