Celtic reject Nottingham Forest’s £25m third bid for record signing Arne Engels

Nottingham Forest want to strengthen their midfield before the transfer deadline as they seek to end the season strongly.

Forest are trying to get a deal done for Celtic’s Arne Engels, with the club having two bids already rejected for the midfielder.

Celtic have now rejected Forest’s £20 million for £5m in add-ons third offer for Engels, according to Sky Sports.

The Hoops have no plan to sanction his exit this month, with manager Martin O’Neill wanting the Belgian to stay unless a £100m bid was submitted.

Engels joined Celtic in the summer of 2024 from Augsburg for a club record £11m fee. He has made 89 appearances across all competitions, registering 35 goal involvements.

With a move for the Belgian now proving to be unsuccessful, Forest are running out of time to add to their midfield options.

Forest have been linked to Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, but the Serie A table-toppers pulled the plug on the deal, with manager Cristian Chivu describing him as ‘important in the squad’.

Sean Dyche’s side have also explored the possibility of signing Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yasin Ayari, but a deal is also unlikely to go through.

Forest are six points clear of the relegation zone and have qualified for the UEFA Europa League play-offs, where they will face Turkish side Fenerbahce.