As Matt O’Riley packed his bags for Brighton at the climax of the window, those of a Celtic persuasion may well have been fearing the worst for the season ahead, with the Old Firm giants having lost such an influential figure in the heart of the midfield.
The former MK Dons playmaker had been simply masterful in 2023/24 after registering 19 goals and 18 assists in just 49 games in all competitions, taking his total tally for the club to 62 goals and assists in 124 outings.
A £25m talent such as that is hard to replace, not least for a fraction of the cost, but to the Hoops’ credit, they do look to have recruited effectively in order to fill that creative void.
To steal a phrase from Moneyball, Brendan Rodgers and co appear to have replaced the Denmark international ‘in the aggregate’, rather than with one sole purchase, bringing in three permanent additions in those attacking midfield berths in the form of Luke McCowan, Paulo Bernardo and Arne Engels.
Despite a shaky showing away at Ross County last time out – in which the Belgian was hooked on the hour mark as the visitors trailed – it has been a particularly solid start to life in Glasgow for that man, Engels.
Arne Engels' start at Celtic
As stated, the former Augsburg starlet – who signed on a club-record £11m deal in the wake of O’Riley’s exit – was far from at his best last time out, having notably squandered possession on 15 occasions in what was a rather anonymous showing.
That said, from just seven appearances for the club thus far, the 21-year-old boasts a promising return of two goals and three assists in all competitions – a fine way to begin repaying that sizeable transfer fee.
That haul of five goal involvements places Engels alongside the likes of Alistair Johnston and Callum McGregor among the Celtic ranks, with the club captain notably also starring in the midfield, with four goals and one assist thus far.
Only Kyogo Furuhashu (six goal involvements), Daizen Maeda (eight goal involvements) and Nicolas Kuhn (14 goal involvements) have contributed to more goals to the side so far, indicating just how effective both Engels and McGregor have been in the centre of the park.
Their record is, however, being matched or bettered by a former Parkhead star who is currently shining away from the club, having been allowed to leave under Ange Postecoglou on a free.
Olivier Ntcham's season so far
Described as “highly gifted” and a player who “has everything” by Rodgers upon his arrival at Celtic Park from Manchester City back in 2017, Olivier Ntcham went on to enjoy a successful four-year stint at the club, winning nine domestic trophies in all in that time.
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After chalking up 37 goals and assists in 124 games for the club across all fronts, the Cameroon international eventually opted to move in the summer of 2021, having previously spent a half-season on loan at Ligue 1 side, Marseille.
Despite Postecoglou’s suggestion that Ntcham wanted to stay put in Glasgow, the midfielder eventually departed following the expiry of his contract, moving on to Swansea City in England’s second tier.
That stint yielded 18 goal involvements in 82 games, although it is at current side Samsunspor where the 28-year-old has truly found his feet, after arriving in Turkey back in 2023.
Since then, the French-born maestro has registered ten goals and one assist in just 35 games, having particularly impressed in the early knockings of this season.
Much like McGregor, Ntcham has scored four times – and contributed one assist – in eight Super Lig outings, ensuring he has surpassed Engels’ return in front of goal.
As club legend Chris Sutton stated, the one-time Genoa man’s career was “on the drift” during his final days at Celtic, with it pleasing to see that he has now found his feet elsewhere.
8 games (8 starts)
4 goals
1 assist
1 ‘big chance’ created
0.9 key passes*
85% pass accuracy*
0.3 interceptions*
1.3 tackles*
6.1 balls recovered*
1.5 successful dribbles*
52% total duels won*
11.8x possession lost*
A player who could produce moments of magic in his pomp – including that winner against Lazio – Ntcham certainly had enjoyed a level of success in a Celtic shirt, albeit while enduring something of a turbulent end to his time in Scottish football.
Alas, he is now thriving in pastures new, while Celtic, meanwhile, look set to maintain their domestic dominance backed by a new crop of exciting midfield assets.
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