SNS GroupMartin O’Neill has expressed his delight after the Celtic board turned down a £25m bid for Engels and confirmed there is interest in signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Nottingham Forest, in what was their third bid on Monday’s deadline day, wanted to pay a guaranteed fee of £20m for Engels with £5m in add-ons.
After rebuffing Forest’s first two bids for the 22-year-old, with the previous offer of £17.3m, Celtic held strong to keep the Belgium midfielder as they look to hunt down Hearts in the title race.
“For here, it’s an awful lot of money”, admitted O’Neill. “Personally, I am delighted that the board turned it down.
“You know, it is really tempting. It’s come at a very late stage, so great credit to them.
“I don’t think Arne kicked up a fuss about it either. It’s tempting, it’s big money here, but they didn’t take the bait. So naturally I’m really pleased, and we can relook at things in the summer times.
“But that was a major statement.”
SNS GroupO’Neill also confirmed he would be “very interested” in signing former Liverpool and Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is a free agent after leaving Turkish side Besiktas in the summer.
Capped 35 times for England, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training with his former side, Arsenal.
“He has trained at Arsenal for some time. I’ve spoken to him, but I’m sure he has plenty of options, maybe closer to London,” revealed O’Neill.
“I’d be very interested in doing it. I’m surprised people haven’t taken him up.
“I think he was very excited about what we were saying. He knows all about the club, he’s a big friend of Joe Hart, and Joe has spoken to him – not on our behalf.
“It’s something we’re interested i,n but if it doesn’t materialise, it doesn’t materialise.”
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